Slayers FUTURE -- Fallen Angel
by Aynslesa
Summary: AU - Six months after Valgaav failed to summon Darkstar, the Slayers suddenly find themselves swept up in another dangerous situation - and Amelia is right in the middle of it! Humans, Mazoku, and Dragons must band together if they're going to defeat this
1. It Begins in Seyruun

**Slayers FUTURE: Fallen Angel**

_Just another day_

_Love seems so far away_

_There's no sign of life_

_In Eden's garden_

_Just another day_

_Liberty's coming out to play_

_Oh a Belfast street_

_Concrete stained_

_Blood and rain_

_I'm ashamed_

_There's a broken man_

_Praying for a wounded land_

_Oh why can't we shape the invisible_

_For faith that's blind_

_The voice of reason cries_

_Oh why can't we shape the invisible_

_Just another day_

_Brotherhood won't show his face_

_In the neighborhood_

_Drive by shots_

_Time stops_

_Doors are locked_

_Behind my door_

_Fear is keeping score_

_Oh why can't we shape the invisible_

_And the dealer won't rest_

_'Til he sells a child Death_

_Oh why can't we shape the invisible_

_Just another day_

_Walking in the steps of Cain_

_In the desert sun_

_Lightning strikes _

_Chemical lights_

_Burn my eyes_

_A mother's son_

_Is now a soldier marching on_

_He's been told to shape the invisible_

_Under poisoned skies_

_The children wonder why_

_Our fathers can't shape the invisible_

_Somewhere a small boy is playing with his toys_

_Someday his innocence_

_will Shape The Invisible_

**Chapter One: It Begins in Seyruun**

Amelia Wil Tessla Seyruun sighed as she looked out the window of the carriage that carried her closer to the castle in Seyruun. She was just returning from a visit to some of the outlying villages in the kingdom, and was relieved that the journey was finally going to be over. It had been nearly six months since the attempt at summoning Darkstar, and she'd been relishing the peace. She couldn't wait to return home to finish her shrine maiden training. 

Thinking about Darkstar made Amelia shudder visibly. That had quite possibly been the most terrifying moment of her life. The prospect of having the Overworld Dark Lord loose in _their world had frightened them all, the Slayers, as minstrels and bards were already beginning to call them. _

She had honestly thought that once Valgaav got his hands on the Sword of Light, it was all over. They had been waiting, tensely, for him to place the sword in its slot, to release Darkstar on the world – but he hadn't. Instead, he'd paused for a second, and then tossed the sword back to Gourry. He'd vanished without a trace then, and it was over. With the help of Almayce and his friends Erologos and Searius, they'd managed to seal Darkstar away permanently, and the crisis was averted. They hadn't even needed to retrieve the final weapon. 

Since that time, she'd pondered over the events of that day. Why _hadn't Valgaav summoned Darkstar? It'd seemed like that was his main goal, and that he wouldn't stop until he succeeded. But he'd returned the sword to Gourry, and then he'd disappeared. She hadn't seen nor heard from him or his two servants in the six months since then. _

_I wonder if Miss Lina's seen him, she thought as she watched Seyruun grow larger in the distance. She smiled at the thought of her old traveling companion, and couldn't help but wonder what Lina and the others had been up to these last six months. _

"Princess?" the driver called back. "We're approaching the gates now."

Amelia nodded absently, and plastered a smile on her face as the carriage went through the gates and into the crowded streets. It seemed like every citizen in the city had turned out to welcome her, and even though she didn't really feel like dealing with a big crowd – she felt more like just falling asleep – she had to admit that it was nice to be welcomed. She smiled and waved to the people, graciously accepting their cheers and applause. 

It wasn't long before the carriage itself was in the courtyard of the castle, and Amelia was able to make her way into the castle after only taking about half an hour to push her way through the crowd. When she was finally inside, she leaned against one of the walls and took a couple of deep breaths. "They were a bit more enthusiastic than usual," she said. 

"I think it was because your Highness was gone for so long," one of her guards said, bowing to her. "Shall I escort you to your chambers now, Princess?"

"No," she said, shaking her head. "I can go by myself, thank you." Then, before any of them could protest, she turned on her heel and marched briskly to the chain of rooms she liked to call home. 

It was just the way she'd left it. Bright, cheery, and…okay, there was lots of pink. She really had to do something about that – she was beginning to grow out of her pink phase. She wasn't sure what color she'd replace everything with, but she knew that it couldn't be pink, or any color close to it. "I'll do it later," Amelia said. "After I've been home for awhile."

"Talking to yourself now? What has the world come to?"

Amelia's eyes widened and she gasped before whirling around. "Miss Lina!" 

Standing near the window – the extremely large window – was none other than Lina Inverse, all five feet, three inches of her. She hadn't grown in height much, or in other ways, but a few things had changed. She didn't hold her usual crazy light in her eyes, and she seemed to have calmed down a bit. Not too much, it having only been six months, after all. But a little.

The biggest change, however…

"What happened to your hair?!" Amelia blurted out.

Lina grinned and fingered her now shoulder-length red locks. "I was experimenting with a few fire spell variations, and accidentally singed most of it off. I evened it out so that it would grow easier, but then I started to get attached to it. It's a lot easier to deal with, for one thing." Lina eyed Amelia. "You've grown yours."

"Just a couple of inches," Amelia said, shrugging, but failing to hide the growing smile on her face. "What are you _doing here? And where's Mr. Gourry? Didn't he come with you?"_

"Gourry's in Sairaag for awhile," Lina replied. "We passed through there on our way here, and he decided to stay with Sylphiel for awhile, to help with Sairaag's Starlight Festival."

"The Starlight Festival!" Amelia sighed. "I always wanted to go see it, but Daddy never let me. He said it was too far away, and besides, I had to be a full shrine maiden before I could go, not just an apprentice." 

Lina nodded. "Yeah, well, so I left him there and came here by myself. I've only been here a couple of hours. The guards know who I am – naturally – and since they were expecting you today, they just told me to wait here. So here I am."

"Wow," Amelia breathed. She sat on the edge of her bed and looked at her mentor. "So what brings you to Sairaag?" 

Lina leaned against the wall, crossing one leg over the other. "Well, it's kind of complicated, and it may take awhile."

"I'm in no hurry," Amelia replied. "Just please don't get offended if I start to drop off. It's been a hard day." 

"I understand," Lina said, nodding. _She really has__ calmed down, thought Amelia. "It started a couple of weeks ago. Gourry and I were in Atlas City, just checking out some of the new restaurants that opened up since we were last there." She shrugged. "You know how it is. Anyway, we were just coming out of this one place when a strange man in a black cloak came up to us."_

Amelia bit her lip to restrain from groaning. "Are we going to have to save the world again?"

Lina shrugged. "I haven't a clue. This guy didn't say anything about that. He just came up to Gourry and me and said, 'Beware of dark forces. Don't let any of you travel alone.' Then he turned around and left."

"He just…left?" Amelia asked, puzzled. "You didn't find out who he was?"

"Well, I tried to run after him, but I lost sight of him in the crowd," Lina replied. "Gourry and I just kind of shrugged it off and went to the inn, but the next morning when I woke up, I found that someone had left something on the windowsill of my room." 

"What?" Amelia asked.

Lina reached into her pocket and removed a small, perfectly spherical stone. There was nothing remarkable about it, and it had no distinguishing features save an odd symbol scratched into it, in a language that Amelia had never seen before. "What is it?" Amelia couldn't help asking. She stepped closer and reached out for it, and Lina placed it in her palm.

"Ouch!" Amelia shouted, dropping it instantly. Lina moved quickly to stop it from crashing to the ground. "It shocked me!"

"Yeah," Lina said, nodding, "it did the same to Gourry. And his did the same to me when I picked it up."

"Mr. Gourry has one, too?" Amelia asked, rubbing her hand gingerly. 

"It has a different symbol in it," replied Lina. She placed the little sphere on the windowsill and glared at it. "This thing has been giving me nothing but trouble since I got it. I haven't run into a single gang of bandits since it came into my life. I'm seriously hurting for money."

Amelia sweatdropped. "But…Miss Lina, isn't it a _good thing not to run into bandits?"_

Lina glared at her.

"My fault," Amelia muttered. "For a minute, I forgot who I was talking to."

Lina glared at her again, then laughed. "Oh, it's okay. Actually, I've kind of been enjoying the lull."

"Back to the strange man," Amelia said, sitting back on the edge of her bed. This time Lina came and joined her, retrieving the sphere in the process. "Do you think he's connected to them?"

"I wouldn't doubt it," Lina replied. "And the way he said what he said: 'Don't let any of you travel alone'. I got the feeling he wasn't just referring to me and Gourry. I think he meant other people, too."

"Maybe there are other people he gave little spheres to," Amelia said. "Maybe that's who you're not supposed to let travel alone." She paused. "Wait a minute. You left Gourry in Sairaag, so…you traveled here alone, right?"

Lina rolled her eyes. "Yeah, but nothing happened. I'm thinking he was just some weirdo who thought Gourry and I looked like a couple of idiots who's minds he could mess with. He was right about Gourry – that jellyfish hasn't been able to stop thinking about all of this – but I'm not that gullible." 

"Still," Amelia said cautiously, "maybe I should send an escort with you when you head back for Sairaag."

"I'm not going back to Sairaag," muttered Lina. "Gourry said he'd meet me here in about a week." 

"Is something wrong?" Amelia asked, noticing the change in Lina's voice. 

"No, nothing," Lina replied, a little too cheerfully. "Anyway, so what I'm doing here is that I'm hoping one of the libraries in the city will have something on this strange language these symbols seem to be in." 

Amelia looked thoughtful. "Maybe. I know I've never seen anything like it, but then, I don't know everything in our libraries."

"Now, one more thing," Lina said. She leaned closer. "Due to my lack of bandits, I kind of don't have enough money to rent a room for more than a couple of nights, and I think this may take me longer than that."

"Well, of course you're going to stay here!" Amelia said, laughing. She'd been expecting Lina to try and stay in the castle anyway, and really didn't have any problem with it. "I'll tell one of the servants to fix up the guest room down the hallway for you."

"Cool," Lina said, grinning. She sighed and flopped back onto the bed. "So, how's Phil?"

"Daddy's fine," Amelia said. "He's still recovering from the tsunami that hit the port when Miss Filia attacked and you accidentally fired  a Dragon Slave into the ocean, but he'll be back on his feet pretty soon. I've been having to run things since I got back, and I'll be glad when I can just go back to being a princess, and not a Crowned Princess."

"You'll be taking over soon anyway, won't you?" Lina asked.

"I've still got a few years," Amelia said. "Daddy wants me to finish my shrine maiden training first, like my mom did." 

Lina nodded thoughtfully. "Um, Amelia…I was wondering."

"What?"

"Well, when you're Crowned Princess, you're gonna need somebody to keep an eye out for you when you're on the road, right? Someone you can…trust?" Lina absently ran her finger around in a circle on the blanket. "Someone you've traveled with before?"

"Usually I'll have guards with me, but…" Amelia looked at Lina. "Miss Lina, are you asking for a…job?"

"No!" Lina protested emphatically. "It's just that, well, once you're Crowned Princess, there's bound to be people trying to kill you. And whoever gets sent after you might be more powerful than anyone who'd be sent after Phil, since you're a sorceress…you might need someone a little more magically inclined then the guards."

Amelia frowned. "Miss Lina, are you sure something isn't wrong? This isn't like you."

Lina sighed and sat up, wrapping her arms around her knees and drawing them up to her chin. "I'm almost eighteen, Amelia. I've been traveling around since I was thirteen, sometimes alone, sometimes not. Lately it's just been me and Gourry. I've seen more things in the last five years than most people see in five lifetimes. I've saved the world three times, killed countless Mazoku, and I've made some pretty cool friends."

"Your point?"

"I guess what I'm trying to say is, I've done just about everything a girl can do with her life, and all before I'm even twenty. But there's one thing I've never done – and that's settle down and have a normal life." Lina buried her face in her arms and mumbled, "Pretty silly, right?"

"No," Amelia said softly. "I don't think it's silly at all." 

The two friends looked at each other and exchanged smiles. Amelia opened her mouth to speak again, but was immediately cut off by a loud, inhuman scream from outside the castle.

"What the hell was that?!" shouted Lina, jumping up and running towards the window. Amelia was right behind her. 

"By the gods," whispered Amelia. "What is that?"

Twisting and diving above the city was a huge wyrm. Its claws dug into the stone of buildings, and it poured lava out of its mouth and onto the streets. It shot up into the air again and screamed one more time. 

Then it turned, and headed straight towards the castle.


	2. On to Sairaag

**Slayers FUTURE: Fallen Angel**

**Chapter Two: On to Sairaag**

_BOOM!_

"What in the world?" 

On a deserted road about two miles outside of Seyruun, a lone traveler stopped and listened closely, regaining his balance after the ground shook from the sudden explosion. He sighed and shrugged, then turned to continue on his way, away from Seyruun City. 

"Are you Zelgadis Graywords?"

"Depends on who's asking." He turned to look at the speaker, hand on his sword hilt. Zelgadis found himself face-to-face with a tall man - this could only be derived from his height and voice - clad entirely in a black cloak. Zelgadis narrowed his eyes, but couldn't determine anything overly suspicious about this character. "Who are you?"

"A friend," replied the man. "I have something for you." 

"And if I don't want it?"

The man reached out with reflexes faster than Zelgadis could comprehend, took the chimera's hand, and pressed an object into it. "My advice to you would be to travel to Seyruun as soon as possible," he warned. "You shouldn't travel alone. They're occupied for now, but when they're finished, they'll be on your trail again." 

Zelgadis stared at him silently, not quite sure what to make of all of this. The man turned and headed back off down the road without another word. 

"Hey, wait!" Zelgadis suddenly shouted. 

The man stopped and turned slightly. "Well?" he asked. "What are you waiting for?" And as he turned away a second time, he faded away until there was nothing left of him to see.

Zelgadis stared at the spot where the man had stood, eyes wide with disbelief. There was another explosion from behind him that shook the ground, and he clenched his fists as he struggled to stay upright. As he did so, he felt the object that the man had placed in his hand. He opened his fist. 

Lying on his palm was a perfectly round sphere that seemed to glow slightly, although that could've just been the sunlight glinting off of it. There was nothing remarkable about it except for the symbol carved in it, in a language that Zelgadis didn't recognize and that had no meaning to him. 

_My advice to you would be to travel to Seyruun as soon as possible…_

Another explosion shook the ground, and this time, Zelgadis could faintly register the sounds of people screaming, and something very large roaring in the direction of the city. 

Pocketing the crystal, Zelgadis took off in the direction of the city as fast as his chimera speed could carry him. 

"SHIT!" 

A torrent of lava passed through the air directly in front of Lina, causing her and Amelia to pause in their escape from the castle. When they'd seen the wyrm head towards them, they'd wasted no time in heading for the nearest exit. They'd moved away from the main crowd once outside, towards the forest outside the city, but the wyrm stayed with them.

"I think it's safe to say that he's after us!" exclaimed Amelia as she ran after Lina. 

"No, really? You think?" snapped Lina. "Look out!" 

Amelia threw herself to one side and narrowly missed being hit by another stream of lava. She glanced over her shoulder and nearly fainted when she saw that the wyrm seemed to be directly above her. It pointed its mouth down and began to open it. 

"_Darkness beyond twilight, crimson beyond blood that flows, buried in the stream of time is where your power grows, I pledge myself to conquer, all the foes who stand, before the mighty gift bestowed in my unworthy hands, let the fools who stand before me be destroyed by the power you and I possess! DRAGON SLAVE!"_

Traveling with Lina Inverse had made Amelia extremely good with casting protection spells quickly, and she showed off this skill now as she waited for the Dragon Slave to hit the wyrm straight on. 

The wyrm calmly opened its mouth…

…And swallowed the Dragon Slave whole. 

Amelia and Lina stared up at it in shock. "No way," whispered Lina, eyes wide. 

The wyrm almost seemed to smile, and then glow with energy. It turned away from Amelia and aimed its mouth at Lina instead. 

"It's going to fire the Dragon Slave back at you!" Amelia shouted. 

Lina seemed almost frozen in place as the wyrm's mouth opened. 

A huge breeze shot by her, and then she was almost flying through the air. The condensed Dragon Slave was fired at the spot where she had been standing, but she was far enough away now that the only injury she sustained was the injury from when she hit the ground, hard. 

She rolled over and looked at the wyrm just in time to see a powerful Ra Tilt slam into it, and then another from the opposite side. Unlike the Dragon Slave, the wyrm was unable to swallow this one, and to Lina's extreme relief it disintegrated under the onslaught of the double Ra Tilt. 

Everything was eerily silent with the wyrm gone, and they were far enough from the city that she couldn't hear the citizens anymore. She'd been thrown pretty far, and she could barely see Amelia as the young princess began running towards her. 

Someone knelt down beside her, and suddenly Lina realized that she hadn't been thrown out of the way – someone had picked her up and carried her. 

"Are you okay, Lina?" 

"Zelgadis?" Lina looked up at the chimera, who was looking at her with concern. "What are you doing here?"

"It's a long story," Zelgadis replied. "Here, let me help." He held out his hand, and Lina took it gratefully. He pulled her to her feet and she stood there, staying still while she waited for everything to stop swirling around her. "What did you do _this time?"_

"What do you mean?" Lina asked indignantly. 

"Well, why was that thing after you?"

"I haven't the slightest idea," Lina replied, suddenly perplexed. She looked around. "Hey, Amelia! Look who showed up!" 

Amelia finally made it over and leaned over, panting. "Hi…Zel…gadis," she gasped. "What are you doing here? I thought we left you in the outer world?"

"I had some things to take care of," Zelgadis replied offhandedly. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Amelia replied, straightening up. "How did you know the Ra Tilt would work against that thing?"

"I didn't," Zelgadis replied. "I was guessing. But what took care of it was probably your second Ra Tilt. While it was busy consuming mine, yours caught it off guard." 

Lina smacked Amelia appreciatively on the shoulder. "Not bad, Amelia!" Amelia shrugged modestly. 

"You know, just a thought, but…maybe we shouldn't hang around the city for very long," Lina said after a moment's pause. "I don't know what that thing wanted, but it was definitely after us, and there will probably be more where he came from."

Zelgadis nodded. "A good idea. Where to?"

"Oh, you're coming with us?" Lina asked, raising an eyebrow. When he nodded but offered no explanation, she looked thoughtful. "I'm not sure…"

"How about Sairaag?" asked Amelia. "We can pick up Gourry while we're there, too." 

Lina bit her lip. "Well…okay, I guess. I'd like the take a look at his little crystal again, anyway." She reached into her pocket and looked at her own. "I wonder if this had anything to do with why that thing attacked us?"

"Maybe," Zelgadis replied. "In which case I want to find out what it is as soon as possible, considering I've got one of my own." He pulled his out of his pocket and held it out for Lina and Amelia to see. 

"It's almost the same, but it's got a different symbol," Amelia observed. "Do you know the language, Zelgadis?"

"No," Zelgadis replied. 

Lina sighed and slipped her back into her pocket. "Come on. Let's get to Sairaag before Phil discovers Amelia's gone and comes after her. Something's going on here, and I'm not sure I want to get any more people involved than necessary." 

Amelia looked down at her tattered dress. "Well…I guess this will hold up until we get to Sairaag. At least I have my ornaments." She touched her bracelets and neckpiece thankfully. She always felt uncomfortable traveling without them. 

"Then let's get going," Zelgadis said.

"Hey, Zel, why are you so eager to go with us?" Lina asked as they headed out of the city. 

"Oh…I'll tell you along the way." 

"If it has anything to do with a man in a black cloak, I'm all ears." 


	3. Down the Right Path

**Slayers FUTURE: Fallen Angel**

**Chapter Three: Down the Right Path**

"There he is! Get him!" 

_Shit! he thought, glancing over his shoulder. __They found me! Dammit!_

The Mazoku assassins took off after their quarry at top speed, determined not to let him escape this time. Losing him would not go over well with Dynast Grausherra and the other two Dark Lords. And when Lord Dynast was pissed, he tended to take it out on the closest person possible. They would prefer it to be the traitor, rather than themselves. 

Valgaav could barely manage to keep ahead of the assassins as they chased after him. _Dynast sure got himself some real winners this time, he smirked inwardly. __I don't have time for these idiots. I've got bigger things to take care of. _

The five assassins after him stopped their chase suddenly as Valgaav vanished from their line of sight. "Where did he go?" snarled one of them. 

"Over here, morons," Valgaav taunted from behind them. All five of them spun around and launched themselves at him. Valgaav nimbly dodged their blows and pulled back his cloak, which concealed his ace in the hole. His power alone would have been enough to take out all five of them, but using his power would light up the senses of every Mazoku within range. He didn't want to take any unnecessary risks. 

Removing the weapon, he called, "_Light come forth!' The light blade of Ragu Mazaedis extended to its full length, and Valgaav shot forward with unknown speed, slashing through all five of the assassins in quick succession. They didn't have a chance to scream as they were ripped apart into oblivion. _

Valgaav sighed and retracted the blade, sliding the Darkstar weapon back into its holder on the inside of his cloak. The long dark fabric wasn't a normal part of his ensemble, but lately he'd decided that traveling without his spear was not a good idea. 

_I can't believe they're still after me, he thought, shaking his head as he resumed his walk through the woods. __It's been six months since Xellos failed to get me, and now it's like it's open hunting season for followers of Gaav. Which, since I'm the last, means me. And as if I don't have enough to deal with, I've got that nut on my trail._

He wasn't even sure who the strange person wearing the black cloak that seemed to completely shroud him was. All he knew was that he'd been following him for quite some time now, seeming to dog his every move. Valgaav had been doing his best to put as much distance between himself and the stranger as he could, but it was getting harder and harder. He was just _always there._

_And now I'm getting dangerously close to Beastmaster's territory, Valgaav thought. One of his main concerns was running into Xellos - he wanted to avoid another confrontation with that damned Mazoku as much as possible. But his course of avoiding the man was pushing him towards the area that Beastmaster Zelas had claimed for her own. Those assassins had been from Dynast, but soon more would be on his tail. He needed something that would assure him safe passage __out of this territory, and back to his hideout. He disliked being in the area that had been inside the barrier - the amount of magic that humans had here made them much more cocky than they should normally be.  _

Valgaav reached the edge of the woods far too soon, and found himself at a crossroads. One sign pointed towards the city of Seyruun, while the other pointed in the direction of Sairaag. He looked towards Seyruun, and noticed that columns of smoke seemed to be rising from that direction. _Trouble, he thought. __The kind of thing I don't need._

Still…Sairaag was a _lot further away…and Seyruun would be the perfect place to hide. The Mazoku race wouldn't expect someone such as himself to take refuge in the white magic capital of the world. He took a hesitant step in that direction, and stopped._

A few feet away, near the edge of the woods that the road to Seyruun seemed to disappear into, stood the man in the black cloak. He held out his hand and motioned for Valgaav to come closer. 

Valgaav curled his lip back in a sneer. "I don't think so," he growled. He turned his back on the man and headed down the road leading to Sairaag. If the man wanted him to go to Seyruun, he'd head in the other direction.

Behind him, the man smiled, and faded away, content with the knowledge that the Dragon Mazoku was heading in the right direction. Sometimes one just had to be a little cunning to get what one wanted. The trick would be keeping him on the right track. Sooner or later he'd discover the interesting little coincidences that occurred every time he thought he was doing what the man _didn't want him to do._

The man, while not visible, removed the hood that covered his head. His long blonde hair flowed around his shoulders, and his narrow golden eyes seemed to momentarily light up. He reached into the pocket of his cloak and removed several more of the crystal spheres that had already been delivered to Lina Inverse, Gourry Gabriev, and Zelgadis Graywords. He had hoped to deliver one to the Seyrunn princess, but the unexpected attack of the wyrm had made that impossible. And it wasn't yet time to hand one over to Valgaav. He still wasn't completely on his correct path. 

Having the knowledge of the future was, in an extent, an added benefit. The hard part was making sure that the events of what he considered the past took place. There were some that he had to interfere with, and others that he couldn't. 

_Just a little while longer, he thought, clutching the remaining crystals. He opened his palm and noticed that two of them had separated from the main cluster on his hand. He smiled. _

_It looks like it's time to go to the Outer Lands now._

He pocketed the crystals again and vanished, this time in transport. 

"Miss Lina, I'm getting tired," Amelia said as she followed behind Lina and Zelgadis. "And I could really use a new change of clothes. This dress is getting worse by the minute." She held up part of her tattered skirt as emphasis.

Lina sighed. "Well, I can't do anything about that right now, Amelia. There isn't a town for quite a few more miles." 

"But it's getting late," Amelia said. "Can't we just use levitation and fly to the town?"

"That wouldn't be the smartest move," Zelgadis said. "Flying would make us vulnerable. Something still could be after us." 

Amelia sighed. "I know…but I'm still tired."

Lina hesitated slightly. "Well…we could camp out, and then go to town first thing. If we rotate the night watch, we should be fine." 

"What about food?" Zelgadis asked, looking skeptical.

Lina gave her one of her patented crazy grins. "There's a river not to far from here - I can fish!" 

"Not alone," Amelia said, shaking her head. "Zelgadis, you go with her."

Zelgadis and Lina both stared at Amelia. "Uh…Amelia, are you feeling okay?" Lina asked uncertainly.

"You both have those strange orbs," Amelia said. "I don't. You're the ones who can't be left alone, according to what that strange man told you, Lina. Right?"

"She has a point," Zelgadis said, nodding slightly.

Lina sighed. "Okay, okay. Come on, Zel. Amelia, find us a place to camp, okay? There should be a clearing nearby." Lina grabbed the chimera's arm, and practically dragged him off into the woods.

Amelia looked around, and noticed that the woods did seem to thin a little towards the right. She started walking in that direction, and was gratified to find a clearing not too far away. "That was easy," Amelia said, nodding in satisfaction. She glanced around, listening carefully. She couldn't even hear Lina, and that was a feat. Either the sorceress had gotten a lot quieter over the last six months, or Amelia had walked further than she'd thought. 

_Crack!_

Amelia spun around and gasped, finding herself face-to-face with a pair of shocked golden eyes. 

"Oh, shit," Valgaav cursed, seeing who it was. "The royal brat - which means Lina Inverse can't be too damn far." 

Amelia backed up several paces. "What do you want?" she demanded. "What are you doing here?" 

Valgaav looked at the girl mildly. "None of your business," he said. Then he sighed. "I really can't have anybody knowing I'm around…so I guess I'll have to kill you." He shook his head. "I was _really hoping to avoid trouble, but…" He raised his hand to fire off an energy blast. _

"_Fireball!" _

The echoing voice from across the road and the resounding explosion signaled that Lina was nearby. Amelia opened her mouth to shout - and Valgaav shot forward, grabbing her from behind and covering her mouth with his hand. "Shut up or I'll kill you," he hissed. "So Lina Inverse _is nearby. This isn't what I need." _

Amelia froze, completely confused as to what Valgaav was doing. _He should be killing me, she thought. __I have to warn Lina!_

Valgaav relaxed his grip just slightly, and Amelia bit down hard on his hand. He snarled and moved his arm. 

"LINA!" Amelia shouted at the top of her lungs. She struggled to pull away, trying to get both hands free to fire off a spell, but Valgaav was quick. He grabbed both of her arms and pulled her against him, pressing his fingers against a point on her neck. 

Amelia instantly fell limp, and Valgaav froze. He could hear Lina Inverse and one other - judging from the shamanism power he was sensing, it was the chimera - running now, and he didn't waste any time. Without thinking, he instantly phased out - taking the unconscious princess with him.

Lina and Zelgadis ran into the clearing just a minute later. "Amelia?" Lina shouted. 

"Lina, look," Zelgadis said, kneeling down on the ground. He reached down and removed the small dagger with the Seyruun crest on it that was lying on the ground. "She dropped it."

Lina stepped forward, and froze. "There was a Mazoku here," she whispered. She stared at Zelgadis, trembling. "The Mazoku have Amelia!"

"XELLOS!" 

The purple-haired trickster winced as he materialized in front of his mistress at the exact moment she screamed his name, which caused him to take the full force of volume right in the ear. He rubbed his ear gingerly and gave Zelas an injured look. "Something you wanted, Lord Beastmaster?"

Zelas glared at him, fury evident on her face, blue eyes flashing brightly. "Do you know what just happened?" 

Xellos opened his eyes and straightened his cloak. "If you mean, do I know that Valgaav just used his powers within our territory - yes. I felt it, too. I was about to go check it out, but I decided I should report in to you, first."

"It's worse than that," Zelas replied. "Which you would know if you weren't busy taunting that dragon girl in the Outer Lands. Valgaav is out of our territory now, and probably already in his new hideout, which we still haven't identified - and he took a prize with him."

"Don't tell me it's Lina Inverse," Xellos said, hoping against hope that he was wrong. 

Apparently Hope had decided to grace the Mazoku with her presence this one time, because Zelas shook her head. "No."

Xellos breathed a sigh of relief. 

"It's the Seyruun princess who travels with Lina."

The trickster's eyes snapped out again. "He's got _Amelia?! K'so!" _

"I would have thought that he would have been smart enough not to mess with my marked humans," Zelas growled, "but it seems that he's getting more and more disdainful of we Dark Lords. 

"Xellos, I have orders for you."

Xellos bowed respectfully. "As you command, Lord Beastmaster." 

"Don't interfere with Valgaav."

Xellos' eyes snapped open as he stared at Zelas in shock. "Uh…what?" For the first time in his life, Xellos was struck speechless. 

"We have two problems going on," Zelas replied. "It seems that some strange being has been giving odd little trinkets to Lina Inverse and her friends - currently, Gourry Gabriev and Zelgadis Greywords are in possession of them as well. This and the princess' kidnapping have unfortunately coincided at the worst possible time - the time of the Uprising."

Xellos felt himself pale. Even the most powerful Mazoku could feel like they were going to faint at the mere mention of the Uprising. It was notable for several unusual circumstances - the main one being that it was the only time in history that the Humans, Mazoku, and Dragons would work together for a common goal. 

He shuddered just thinking about it. 

"What does this stranger have to do with the Uprising?" Xellos asked cautiously.

"That's just it - we're not sure," Zelas said. "Which is why I'm assigning you to the task of finding him and figuring it out. Of course, if you find out any information on Valgaav during your search for our stranger, you'll be expected to report to Lina Inverse - who will no doubt be searching for the missing princess."

"I will do my best," Xellos promised. 

"Hold on one second."

Xellos wasn't a fool - he stayed right where he was. 

Zelas sighed. "Because we believe this stranger and his crystals have to do with the Uprising, naturally the Dragon race is going to be getting involved. I've been in contact with the Supreme Elder at the Temple of the Fire Dragon King, and he's agreed to you searching for the stranger - on the condition that one of his people go with you, as well."

Xellos winced. "You mean I have to put up with an uppity Golden Dragon for however long this search is going to take me?"

"Exactly," Zelas said. 

Xellos sighed. "I don't have a choice, do I?"

"Not at all."

"Great. So who's this Dragon?"

"WHAT?! YOU _MUST BE __JOKING!"_

The Supreme Elder frowned at the young priestess standing in front of him. "I can assure you that I am not," he replied. "Xellos Metallium was the only Mazoku that Beastmaster Zelas would send on this, and you are the only one I can think of who would be able to deal with him." 

"But I _hate him!" _

"As you should," the Supreme Elder replied. "But this is for the sake of the world's future, Filia." He watched as the young Golden Dragon growled, then turned and stalked out of the room.  "You'll have to deal with it," he called after her.

Filia was so incensed that she didn't bother to go to her rooms for anything - she marched right out of the Temple and prepared to scream very, very loudly. "I DON'T _WANT TO DEAL WITH IT!"_

"Believe me, I want this even less than you." 

She spun around to see a sulking Xellos floating in the air behind her. "What the hell are you doing, sneaking up on me like that?" she demanded. 

"I wasn't 'sneaking'," he said. "I just hadn't told you I was here yet." 

Filia glared at him. 

Xellos glared right back.

After several minutes of glaring, Filia finally sighed in defeat. "Well, since we have to do this, we better get started. I hope you have a clue about what's going on, especially considering this was _your mistress' idea." _

"I'll try to explain it in terms you can understand," Xellos said. Before she could start yelling at him again, he continued. "Some nutcase has been going around handing out strange little crystals to various people who all seem to be connected to each other - people like Lina Inverse, Gourry Gabriev, and Zelgadis Graywords. This is making Lord Beastmaster nervous because it's coinciding with the Uprising. You do know what the Uprising is, right?"

"Every one thousand years, a being known as the Alpha rises up to try and destroy the world. At the same time, a group of warriors is chosen to fight against the Alpha," Filia recited. "Should the warriors fail, the world is be wiped out and restarted. If they succeed, the world will be safe for another one thousand years."

"Right," Xellos said. "That's the basic idea, except that the last Uprising never occurred. Can you tell me why?"

"Because one of the pieces of Shabranigdo was reborn, and for some reason the Alpha didn't rise at that time," Filia replied.

"Right again." Xellos leaned against his staff and frowned. "No one's sure why that happened, but nevertheless, it means that this time around the Alpha has had much more time to rest. He might be more powerful." 

"Which isn't our problem," Filia said, tossing her long blonde hair over her shoulder. "We're just supposed to find this stranger and figure out if he's connected. Right?"

Xellos nodded. "I want to find out more about these crystals of his, though. Too bad we don't have one."

Filia looked chagrined. "Um…actually…" 

Amethyst eyes looked at her. 

She reached into her cloak and removed a small object. It was another spherical crystal with an unknown symbol in it. "He took off after I got it, though," she said sheepishly.

"Same here." Xellos reached into his own cloak to remove a nearly identical crystal. "That makes five. Did he give you a warning?"

"Don't travel alone," replied Filia. She shuddered. "What in the world is going on here?"

"That's what we're supposed to find out." His eyes narrowed. "And to make things more difficult, we're on our own. We can't go to Lina and the others for information or help."

"Why not?" Filia asked.

"Because they're going to be looking for Valgaav, and I'm under strict orders to stay out of his way." Xellos shook his head, still unsure as to why his mistress had made that demand. 

"Valgaav's back?" Filia asked softly.

Xellos nodded. "Yes. And he's taken a hostage, which is why we can't go to Lina. He has Amelia." 

Filia stared at him in shock. "What?"

"He has Amelia," Xellos repeated. "And unfortunately, nobody knows where he is." 


	4. Captive

**Slayers FUTURE: Fallen Angel**

**Chapter Four: Captive**

_Wh-where am I? _

_What happened?_

_Lina? Zelgadis?_

_Ow, my head hurts._

With that final thought, Amelia opened her eyes and found herself staring at a set of four walls and a ceiling that had absolutely no decor to them. They were drab, gray stone walls, and when Amelia touched them she decided that they were extremely cold as well. Groaning softly, she pushed herself into a sitting position to get a better look around.

The only light came from two torches perched beyond the fourth wall, which was a series of wrought iron bars. "I'm in a jail cell," Amelia said, slightly stunned and still unsure about what was going on. "How did I get here?" 

Amelia listened for any sound indicating that there was someone nearby, someone who could perhaps tell her what in the world was going on. There was a vague sound down the hallway outside of the cell, but she was unable to identify it. Sighing, she slumped down and looked around her cell. 

Aside from the featureless stone walls, the stone was just as cold and hard. There was, however, a small cot in the corner with a single blanket on it. Amelia shivered slightly and realized that she was still wearing the destroyed dress that she'd been wearing when she'd left Seyruun, and shakily climbed to her feet to retrieve the blanket. She wrapped it around her body and secured it, and was relieved to find that despite its thin appearance it was actually a nice, soft, warm blanket. 

Suddenly it all came rushing back to her. "Valgaav!" she gasped, sitting on the edge of the cot, eyes wide. He'd surprised her in the clearing, and then he'd knocked her unconscious when he'd heard Lina and Zelgadis coming to her aid. That was the last thing she remembered, although she had a pretty good idea of what had happened afterwards. Valgaav had gotten away before Lina and Zelgadis could rescue her, and now he was holding her hostage. 

Amelia pulled the blanket tighter around her. _I've been captured by a Mazoku! Why is this happening to me? What is __going to happen to me? _

This was a good point. What _was going to happen? If Valgaav meant to kill her, he would have done it already. _

Right? 

_Ca-Clang!_

The sound of something heavy and made of metal moving further down the hallway was followed by footsteps, and Amelia tensed as she waited for whoever it was to come up to the cell. A shadow was visible on the wall, but the light was too dim to give it any features. Amelia pulled herself up all the way onto the cot and slid closer to the corner, all the while running through every spell she knew to figure out if she had any that would work in this sort of situation. 

The shadow grew smaller, and then her visitor was standing outside the bars. 

"You're awake," Valgaav said softly, the firelight flickering off of his hair and horn, his golden eyes brightly reflecting the torch flames. The soft tone of his voice surprised Amelia - she didn't think she'd ever heard him do anything but snarl, at least when it came to talking to her and her friends. "It's about time."

Amelia glared at him silently.

Valgaav leaned against the wall opposite the cell. "What's with the gloomy face?" he asked, smirking. 

"What do you want with me?" Amelia asked harshly. 

He didn't flinch at the tone of voice. "Bait, naturally," he said, momentarily brushing his bangs out of his face. He sighed when they flopped right back into place. "You're the perfect opportunity for me to lure Lina Inverse." 

"You still want to kill her?" Amelia asked. 

"I always want to kill her," Valgaav replied. "She killed Lord Gaav - it's only fitting that I kill her. Just because I haven't done tried lately doesn't mean I'm not going to do so again." 

Amelia stood up from the cot and faced him. "You're not going to get away with this!" she proclaimed. "I'm not just some third-rate apprentice, you know. **Flare Arrow!" **

The spell hit the iron bars…and bounced right off, vanishing in thin air as it did so. Amelia bit her lip. "Um…that wasn't really what I was trying to do."

Valgaav sweatdropped. "Did you really think I wouldn't have an anti-magic shield over this place? The last thing I need is to attract any unwanted attention." 

"Huh?" Amelia blinked, in confusion. "Unwanted attention?"

"Idiot," muttered Valgaav. "I'm still being tracked by the Mazoku - or, at least, they're still attempting to track me. They can follow the scent of my magic - and yours, too." _Why am I telling her this? "So you can't use magic here."_

"Oh." She shivered slightly. "Um…it's really cold in here. Is there any way to heat it up?"

"And why should I?" 

"Well," Amelia said, suddenly coming up with an idea, "since you need me to lure Lina, you have to keep me alive, right? Me freezing to death probably isn't a good idea, right?" 

Valgaav sighed. "Oh, very well." He touched the bars of the cell and muttered a short incantation. A minute later, the room warmed considerably, and Amelia breathed a sigh of relief. Then she realized that having the blanket wrapped around her was getting extremely uncomfortable, so she dropped it.

Immediately, despite himself, Valgaav felt his face heat up. He spun around and cough to cover his discomfort. "Well…anyway…I'll have Jilas bring you something to eat later. And, um, a change of clothes, too." And with that, he hurried back down the hallway, leaving Amelia in the warmed cell by herself.

"A change of clothes?" repeated Amelia, wondering why he had left so quickly. She would've expected him to stay and taunt her for awhile. Then the full meaning behind his words hit her, and she glanced down at herself. 

"Eeep!" she squeaked when she saw that she was still wearing her tattered and torn dress. A tattered and torn dress that didn't, well, leave much to the imagination, to put it mildly. She grabbed the blanket against and sat on the floor, covering herself with it. 

_I hope Jilas brings those clothes soon, Amelia thought as she felt herself getting drowsy with sleep. __I have a feeling I might be here for awhile._

 _ It was a couple hours later when Amelia finally roused herself from her slumber. Her blanket had fallen to the ground again, but she didn't mind so much since she was alone. Then she noticed that sitting just inside the cell was a tray with a plate of food and a glass of water, and next to it a wrapped bundle. Normally Amelia wouldn't be caught dead taking charity from a Mazoku, but she __did need a change of clothes, and she __was hungry. _

She unwrapped the bundle and looked at the plain gray shirt and pants, and sighed. "I guess I shouldn't have expected anything like at home," she said as she removed what was left of her dress and slid the unshapely but clean (and whole) pieces onto her body. Then she picked up the tray and went over to the cot to eat. 

The food was surprisingly good. Meat, rice, and corn, with a glass of water. The water she was thankful for because she was _extremely thirsty - being knocked unconscious had a way of doing that to her - and she managed to swallow the food with little effort. "Well, at least he knows how to treat a prisoner," she said, sighing. She set the now empty tray down on the floor and lay back on her cot. "Now what?"_

She wasn't tired - she's already taken a nap. She wasn't hungry - she'd just eaten. She wasn't cold - the warming spell was still in effect. She couldn't even really curse out her kidnapper, because he hadn't really _done anything to make her go that far…unless you counted kidnapping her, but she'd already grumbled about that. _

She supposed that all she could do was wait for something to happen.

"Lord Valgaav, I delivered the food and the clothing to the prisoner as you commanded."

Valgaav looked over from his seat in his chamber, and nodded to the fox-man. "Good, Jilas. In a bit, I want you to go back to retrieve the empty tray." 

Jilas nodded, but hesitated before he left the room.

"Is something wrong, Jilas?" 

Still the fox hesitated. "Well, it's just…you see…um…"

"Yes?" There was a slight edge to Valgaav's tone, a hint for Jilas to get on with what he was saying and to quit wasting his master's time.   

"May I ask why you brought that girl here?" Jilas managed. "With the Mazoku after you, it might not have been such a good idea. Won't she draw attention to us?"

"Don't question my decisions, Jilas," Valgaav said, turning his head to stare at the wall. 

"Yes, Lord Valgaav." Jilas bowed and hurried out of the room. 

Valgaav sighed. _Why did__ I bring her here? I suppose I just panicked upon hearing Lina Inverse's voice. As much as I want revenge against her for Lord Gaav's death, trouble is the last thing that I need right now. And it's not that I really need the girl…it'd be different if I really were going to go after Lina, but that's not on my agenda right now. _

"I can't let her go, though," he muttered out loud. "She'd go running straight to her dear friends Lina and Company, and then they'd be after me for revenge. As it stands, they might already be on my tail - I don't need her leading them to me." 

Valgaav rose from his chair and paced around the room. "What am I going to do with her? She's just going to be a nuisance as she is now. And the biggest nuisance is going to be taking care of her." He paused. "_Gravos! Jilas!"  _

The two servants appeared immediately in Valgaav's chamber, looking at him expectantly. "Yes, Lord Valgaav?" Gravos asked. 

Valgaav flicked a piece of hair from in front of his face. "I have a slight situation. I have no idea as to what to do with the princess. I don't want to have to take care of her every hour of the day - nor do I want the two of you doing so. We have enough trouble keeping ourselves hidden from the Mazoku. At the same time, I can't release her. Who knows - she might prove useful in the future, as a bargaining tool, perhaps. So what do I do? I'm asking for your advice." 

Gravos and Jilas glanced at each other, both of them having the same thought - _Valgaav, asking for advice? _

"Well?" Valgaav asked impatiently.

"Um…" Gravos looked thoughtful. "There is that empty room down the hall…you could move her there. She might be more comfortable. It is furnished and everything." 

Valgaav looked skeptical. "And how will this help her not be a nuisance?"

"Let her have a free run of the base," Jilas suggested. "Give her a room of her own, one of us can show her where the kitchen and the library and everything are, and then let her do what she wants. Since it's impossible for her to leave without your permission because of the spells on this place, it's not like she can cause any trouble." 

Valgaav looked at his two followers, his eyes narrowed. Gravos and Jilas held their breaths as they waited for his thoughts on the idea - it would be very easy for him to reject their ideas and throw them out of the chamber with serious injury. They were playing on the fact that Valgaav seemed to have calmed down to a degree since the failed attempt at summoning Darkstar - but they still weren't sure what his reaction would be.

"Is the spare room cleaned up?" Valgaav asked.

Jilas and Gravos blinked in surprise. "Uh…what?" Gravos asked.

"Is. The. Spare. Room. Cleaned. Up?" Valgaav enunciated each word clearly so that they wouldn't have any trouble understanding. 

"Yeah!" Jilas nodded furiously. "I keep it up, you know, just in case and everything. Do you want me to bring her to it now, Lord Valgaav?" 

"No," Valgaav said, shaking his head. "I'll do it. I want to make sure that she knows what she can and can't do while she's here - and then I don't want to have to deal with her until I absolutely have to." With those words, he threw the end of his cloak over his shoulder and strode out of the room, leaving Gravos and Jilas behind. 

"Something's bothering Lord Valgaav, isn't it?" Gravos asked Jilas.

"I think so," Jilas said. "He seemed unusually flustered when he told me to bring her food and clothing earlier. I was worried that he wasn't feeling good."

"I don't think that's the problem," Gravos said, shaking his head.

"Oh?" Jilas glanced at him. "So what do you think is going on, Boss?" 

A slightly mischievous smile spread across Gravos face. "Well, think about it. When's the last time Lord Valgaav has been around an attractive member of the opposite gender?" 

Jilas blinked in confusion…and then comprehension. "Ohhhhhh!" 

"It might just be me," Gravos continued to muse, "but I have a feeling that things are going to be pretty interesting as long as that girl is around - for all of us." 

"Wake up."

Amelia sat up on the cot at the sound of the voice, and looked sleepily at Valgaav, who was standing on the other side of the barred door. When she did so, he touched the bars and muttered a quick spell, and the door swung up. "Come on."

"What?" Amelia stood up and looked at him in confusion. "What do you mean?"

He paused. "Well, do you want to stay here forever?" he asked. "Let's go."

Amelia thought for a minute. _Stay here in this cell, or go with Valgaav. Stay here in this cell, or go with Valgaav. Let's see - go stir crazy in this cell, or go with Valgaav. _

Well, when you put it that way…

"Wait up!" Amelia called as she darted out of the open cell and sprinted down the hallway to catch up with the Mazoku, who hadn't paused in his trek after telling her to follow him. 

He led her through dark corridors, and Amelia couldn't help but notice that this hideout was very different from the caves that Valgaav had inhabited six months earlier. "Is, um, this a new hideout?" she asked.

"I'm not stupid," Valgaav said. "Once Xellos knew where I was, I had to move. This was once an old castle, and much of what belonged to the old inhabitants is still around. Nobody comes to this area anymore, so it's safe." 

"Oh." Amelia bit her lip and continued to look around as she followed him. She noticed that there were no windows, and that all the light came from torches that lined the walls. There was plenty of light to see by, but it was a little unnerving that she couldn't see out of the castle. 

Soon the hallway widened and became less ominous and sinister. Now there were windows every once in awhile, large windows that were unfortunately very high up so it was hard to see out of them. Seeing these windows told Amelia that it was near nightfall, judging from the pinkish light that was filtering through them. 

When Valgaav finally spoke, Amelia almost missed what he was saying because she hadn't been expecting him to say anything.

"Since it's impossible for you to leave the castle, you can go anywhere inside of it that you wish - except for my chambers. The library, the kitchen, the dining hall, and any other room you find is a place where you can be, unless it's locked," Valgaav replied.

"And if it's locked?" Amelia asked, not sure if he was being sincere in what he was saying. 

"Don't bother with it," Valgaav replied. "It's locked for a reason. If you have trouble finding some place, Gravos and Jilas will help you." He paused outside a large door. "This is your new room."

He pressed his palm against the door and pushed it, and it swung inward into the room.

Amelia's eyes widened as she looked around. The room was about half the size of her room back in Seyruun - which meant that there was more than enough room for her. The furniture was in near-perfect condition, done in shades of blue, green, and black, and there was a set of large windows facing out of the room. She hurried over to the floor-length windows, but it was dark enough now that she couldn't see what lay beyond them.  

She stood there for a few more minutes, just looking around the room. It was much nicer than the cell…which she really had been expecting, but still - it was also much nicer than she had thought it would be. The question was…

"Why?" She spun around, pretty certain that Valgaav was still standing there, and relieved to find that she wasn't talking to thin air. "Why did you do this?"

Valgaav half-turned away from her, glancing over his shoulder as he spoke. "I don't have time to waste keeping you alive," he said gruffly. "This way, you can keep yourself amused, and this castle is big enough that you won't get in my way. If you need anything, Gravos and Jilas will assist you. Don't bother me." And with those words, he left the room and closed the door behind him. 

Amelia stared after him for a few more minutes, then shrugged and looked around again. There was a large dresser against one wall, a table and two armchairs set in the middle of the room on a woven carpet that looked like it had seen better days but was still in decent shape, and a large four-poster bed against the other wall. She bit her lip and noticed how dark it was. 

Hmm…maybe.

"**Lighting!" she cast. The room immediately lit up, and Amelia clapped her hands in front of her chest, her eyes lighting up. "My magic works!" Then she glanced at the window. A small idea began to form in her mind, and she pointed her hand at it. "Fireball!" **

Nothing happened. 

Amelia sighed and sat on the edge of the bed. "All my attack spells are still void," she said, cradling her head in her hands and resting her elbows on her knees. "I guess that makes sense, but still - I'd love to know what he's planning on doing with me." 

At that moment, Amelia noticed that there was something lying on the bed. She twisted around slightly and saw that it was a silk nightgown. She lifted it from the bed and held it in front of her body, then turned to look at the full-length mirror near the wardrobe. It looked like it would fit her. 

Curious, she shed the dismal clothing that she'd been wearing earlier and pulled the nightgown on over her head. It fit her perfectly, and she smiled slightly. "Much better," she said. Then she stifled a yawn. _I must be more tired than I thought I was, she mused. _

Amelia picked up her neckpiece and bracelets from the floor and placed them on the table before she went over to the bed and lay down. She snapped her fingers and the light spell diminished, leaving her to lay there and stare up at the ceiling as she tried to sleep. 

_I can't figure out what Valgaav is planning, she thought. __Why did he bring me here when he could've attacked Lina and Zelgadis right there? And why did he give me this room? I know he said it was because he didn't want to deal with me, but it does seem a little strange. _

Deciding that it was too soon to think about it, Amelia rolled over on her side and pulled the heavy blankets up to her chin, closing her eyes as she did so.  

She was asleep within minutes. 


	5. Alpha and Omega

**Slayers FUTURE: Fallen Angel**

**Chapter Five: Alpha and Omega**

A beam of light shone through the large window and fell on the sleeping form lying in the bed. Amelia winced slightly and opened her eyes, sitting up and shielding them with her hand as she did so. "Morning already?" she wondered. "It feels like I just fell asleep." She stifled a yawn and stretched before climbing out of bed. 

With the sunlight lighting up the room, it was much warmer than the dungeon area had been, and much brighter. Amelia stood in the middle of the room with her hands on her hips, and bit her lip thoughtfully. 

_Roarrrrrr._

She looked sheepishly down at her growling stomach. "I guess that's my stomach's way of saying it's time for breakfast," she said with a giggle. Then she inspected the nightgown she was wearing. "But I can't go dressed like this. And I don't really want to wear those ugly things." She shot a scathing look at the gray rags lying on the ground. 

Suddenly her eyes fell on the wardrobe against the other wall, and they lit up with thought. Amelia crossed over to it and gripped the handles, hesitating slightly. "Oh, what do I have to lose?" She yanked open the doors and took a few steps back. 

Hanging in the wardrobe were several outfits of varying types - gowns, casual dresses, shirts and pants sets, and even a couple of cloaks. Amelia thought back to the nightgown that she was wearing, and wondered who had lived in this room before, back before Valgaav must have taken over. _I wonder how I can find out more about this place, she thought. __Valgaav mentioned a library - maybe I can find it after breakfast._

In the meantime, she needed something to wear. 

Reaching into the wardrobe, she removed one of the outfits, a royal blue dress with spaghetti straps that feel to just below her knees. Further inspection of the wardrobe revealed a few pairs of shoes, and since hers had been ruined beyond use, she selected a black pair and slid her feet into them. 

"Much better," she said, sighing with relief. "Now to find that kitchen."

Once out in the hallway, she suddenly felt much more restricted than she had in her new room - after all, the room was her own. Here in the main part of the castle, she had the feeling that someone was always watching her. It reminded her again that she wasn't here of her own free will, that she was a prisoner in this place. She hesitated in the hall, and sniffed the air, hoping for some clue to the direction of the kitchen. There was none. 

Since she was pretty sure that she hadn't passed it the night before, she walked further down the hallway, looking around and keeping her eyes open for any large doors. 

Several feet down she caught sight of a large pair of doors, closed. Amelia stepped up to the doors and pressed her ear against them, trying to listen to any sounds inside. She didn't want to just barge right into a room. When she heard nothing, she reached for the door handle.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Amelia gasped and spun around, finding herself face to face with the one-eyed gaze of Jilas. He was standing in the middle of the hallway, and as she looked at him, she noticed that he glanced uneasily at the door, and Amelia immediately figured out what he was saying. 

"This is Valgaav's chamber, isn't it?" she asked.

The fox man nodded. "Looking for the kitchen?"  

Amelia nodded. "Yes." 

Jilas turned away and motioned for her to follow him. "It's this way. C'mon - I'll take you."

Amelia hesitated only a slight second before following after him, and then fell silent as she set to the task of memorizing the way they were going. 

The kitchen was a ways away from her room, and while they walked, Jilas pointed out the locations of other rooms in the castle, including the library, the baths, and the dining room that nobody used anymore. All of them were unlocked, so they were all places that Amelia was permitted to explore. 

Inside the kitchen, the smell of breakfast made Amelia's mouth water. She hadn't eaten since the dinner from the night before, and it had been smaller than she was used to (traveling with Lina often gave one a huge appetite), so she was extremely grateful for the plate that Jilas now placed in front of her. She sat at the small table, and dug in. Jilas pointed out where everything was in the kitchen, then took off for who knows where. _Well, I guess I really am going to be on my own while I'm here, Amelia thought as she shoveled eggs into her mouth. _

When she had cleaned her plate twice, she stood up from the table and carried the dishes over to the sink. Rinsing them off, she left them to dry and wiped her hands off on a towel. "Now what?" she wondered as she stepped out of the kitchen and into the hallway. "Oh, yeah! The library!" 

Backtracking through the hallways that Jilas had led her through, she managed to relocate the rather large room and let herself in. It was completely deserted (not that she'd expected anything less), and she paused inside, staring at the rows and rows of bookshelves crammed full of various books. "Amazing," she breathed. "There must be hundreds of them! I definitely won't be bored with these." 

She walked over to the closest bookshelf and looked at the books, but most of them were titles she'd never heard of. _Maybe I can find out information on who lived here before. She finally selected a book titled __ALPHA AND OMEGA, and carried it over to a large overstuffed chair in a corner of the room to read. _

Amelia opened to the front page, and immediately gasped. 

Etched into the page was a symbol she'd never seen before, surrounded by a series of similar characters. But while she had never seen the first symbol before, two of the others jumped out at the page. They were the same symbols that had been etched into the spheres that Lina and Zelgadis had received from the strange cloaked man. 

A line jutted out from the center symbol and ran up the page to connect with a symbol at the top of the page, separate from the other symbols. And there was a paragraph scrawled in the middle. 

'_And He shall be born from darkness to plunge the world into his brethren. And She shall call for the Chaos to bring about protection to the world. And the world shall either be purified or protected, depending on Their choice.'_

"Weird," Amelia murmured. But she turned the page anyway, hoping that maybe she'd figure out why the same symbols that were on the spheres were in this book.

Silently, she began to read. 

_'The legend of the Chaos Warriors began simple as such - a legend, told as a children's story. It is said to have originated at the dawn of time, although no one ever remembers what really happens in the beginning. _

_'Every one thousand years, the Destroyer will rise up from darkness to purge the world of sin. His one mission is to restart and renew everything, purifying it entirely. To do this, he must destroy the world. _

_'But the Destroyer, or Alpha' - and here they had the symbol that matched the term, the symbol that was separated from the others on the previous page - '__will always meet opposite, for She will never wish for a new beginning. She is the Mother of All Things, the One Who Holds Dominion Over All Terrible Dreams, in short - the Lord of Nightmares.'_

Amelia's eyes widened, and she suddenly felt herself flash back to a moment a year before, shortly after the destruction of Hellmaster Phibrizo. 

_"So, what was it like, looking at the Claire Bible?" Amelia asked Lina with interest. The two of them were sitting in one of the gardens at the palace in Seyruun alone, since Zelgadis was visiting the libraries and Gourry was showing Sylphiel around the city. _

_"It was - hard to describe," Lina said. "I found out more than I really wanted to know - it told me all about the Lord of Nightmares." _

_"Like what?"_

_Lina got a far-off look in her eye, something that she did whenever the subject of L-sama came up. "She is the Mother of All Things, the One Who Holds Dominion Over All Terrible Dreams…"_

"In short, the Lord of Nightmares," Amelia whispered. Hurriedly she went back to reading the Introduction.

'_But She cannot fight the Alpha alone. She requires warriors who will stand and fight against the Alpha. They are named Chaos, and their Destiny is foretold before they are even born. They are: _

_Omega - the Finale _

_Zeta - the Heart _

_Rho - the Sorceress_

_Qoph - the Chimera_

_Epsilon - the Light Sword _

_Upsilon - the Dark Sword _

_Kappa - the Priest _

_Lambda - the Priestess _

_Gamma - the Focus _

_Sigma – the Dreamer _

_Iota - the Mage _

_Mu - the Seer _

_Nu - the Sense_

_Phi - the Protector_

_Beta - the Vessel _

_Theta - the Temptress _

_X - the Seeker _

Amelia drew her feet up underneath her, making herself more comfortable as she devoured the words. Beyond the Introduction were explanations of each of the warriors, their abilities and their purpose. For some reason she felt compelled to read as much as she could, even though the language of the text was more formal than she was used to, and there was a lot of information that was of no use to her. 

She didn't stop reading for several hours, until finally the book slid out of her hands and fell to the floor, for the sole reason that she had let go of it while she slept in the chair. 

It was the middle of the night before she was suddenly awoken by a loud, echoing scream. 

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" 


	6. Comfort From the Heart

**Slayers FUTURE: Fallen Angel**

**Chapter Six: Comfort From the Heart**

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Amelia shot straight up in her chair at the sound of the tortured scream that echoed through the hallway. Without thinking, she jumped off the chair and ran to the library door, yanking it open and dashing in the direction of the sound. She couldn't figure out who was screaming until suddenly, she found the source - on the other side of the doors that Jilas had said led into Valgaav's chambers. 

She stopped there, listening to the screams. _He sounds like he's in pain, she thought. __But…what do I do?_

Part of her just wanted to find something to cover her ears and go back to sleep. After all, he was a Mazoku, and had tried to kill her on numerous occasions. 

Unfortunately, Amelia possessed that thing that usually ended up getting people in tight situations - she had a conscience. And her conscience told her that, despite how he'd treated her in the past, she couldn't just let someone be in pain when there might be something she could do about it. 

Amelia grabbed the door handle and tugged, only to find that it was locked tight. After a few minutes of useless tugging, she suddenly realized that the screams had died down, and now she could hear just a faint, muffled whimpering coming from behind the doors. Taking a deep breath, she pounded her fist on the heavy door. "Is everything okay in there?" she called. "Valgaav? Are you okay?"

There was silence for a few seconds, and then came a raspy, hoarse reply .

"Go away."

Amelia scowled. "I just want to know if you're okay. You sounded like you were in pain. Do you need help?"

"Why should you care?" 

_And here I thought Zelgadis__ was the most stubborn person on the planet. "Look, would you just open the door? I hate talking through a wall." __Why am I even bothering?_

When there was no response, Amelia threw up her arms and brought them down swiftly, slapping her palms against her thighs. "Fine, be that way," she muttered. "I'm going back to sleep." 

She had just turned away when she heard the tell-tale _click of a door unlocking behind her. Amelia looked back at the door uncertainly, but reached out to grip the door handle again. This time, the door opened when she pulled. _

Cautiously she stepped into the dimly lit room behind the door. It was a very spacious suite of rooms, and having lived in a palace her whole life, she identified it immediately as the suite that the master of the castle (or mansion, or whatever this place was) would live in. It was lit only by torches on the walls that let off flickering streams of firelight, and most of the furniture blended in with the shadows. 

"Close the door." 

Valgaav's quiet, hoarse whisper broke her out of her inspection of the room, and she immediately did so. When the door was securely shut behind her, she looked around once more, and finally saw the large bed in the corner of the room. And there, sitting up with his back against the headboard of the bed, was Valgaav. 

Amelia's eyes widened as she approached and took in his appearance. A thin sheen of sweat covered his skin where it was visible (and considering the fact that he wasn't wearing a shirt, an awful lot was), and his hair was damp and hanging around his face in tangles. He was gripping his right arm with his left hand and grimacing in pain, and didn't raise his head to look at her as she approached the bed. His ragged breathing and her footsteps were the only sounds in the room. 

"Are you happy now?" he asked harshly when she reached the bed. "Are you happy now, seeing me like this? Seeing me so…_weak?"_

"No," Amelia said, wincing at the accusing tone in his voice. "I don't like seeing anyone hurt, or scared, or upset. Even my enemies. That's not the way I am." 

He glanced over at her with dark gold eyes. "Right," he said sarcastically. 

"What happened to your arm?" she asked, brushing off his comment. She noticed that he was still holding it, although he didn't seem to be in as much pain as he'd been a moment before.

"Nothing," he muttered, letting go over it and moving his gaze away from her. "It's nothing."

"Let me see," she said. 

"No."

"Yes." 

"No." 

"Yes." 

"No."

"No."

"Yes."

"Good!" Amelia smiled and launched herself over the bed, leaning over him so that she could see his arm. Valgaav's eyes widened when he realized that she'd just tricked him, and now there was nothing he could do about it. Well, he could grab her and throw her across the room – but he didn't really want to do that. 

Amelia touched his arm gently, and was rewarded with a sharp hiss from the Mazoku Dragon. She prodded his bicep carefully, making note of where it was tender. "Looks like you pulled it," she said. "Here." She turned herself around so that she was kneeling on the bed next to him instead of leaning across him, and then placed her hand on his arm. "_Recovery." _

Valgaav tensed, but then relaxed as the pain went away. When Amelia removed her hand, he pulled his arm away from her and massaged his upper arm. "Thanks," he muttered. 

"Can I ask how you managed to do that?" Amelia asked.

"No." 

"Hmph. I help you and all I get is a muttered word of gratitude that you probably didn't even mean." She folded her arms across her chest and glared at him. "You really are a creep, aren't you?"

"If I'm such a creep, then what are you still doing here?" snapped Valgaav. 

"Good question," Amelia said, half to herself. _Why did__ I come here? __I just want to go home. "At least I'm not the one who has nightmares so bad that he injures__ himself while he's __sleeping. I thought Mazoku weren't supposed to be afraid of – eeep!" _

Valgaav moved swiftly, rolling over and grabbing her arms, pinning her down on the bed with his weight lying on top of her. Amelia felt her breath catch in her throat as she looked up at the golden-eyed gaze of the man – _Mazoku – hovering above her. "Shut up," he snarled. "What do __you know about my nightmares? What do __you know about pain?" _

Amelia's heart was beating fast, but surprisingly, she didn't really feel afraid. There was something…vulnerable…about Valgaav's expression that just made her feel secure that he wouldn't do anything harm her. _What are you thinking? her mind demanded. __This guy is pissed, and you weren't helping by getting in a verbal sparring match with him! Say your sorry and go back to your room, Amelia! Do it now! But her body refused to listen, and she found herself speaking before she could stop. "You're not the only one with nightmares," she said softly. _

Surprise flickered briefly in Valgaav's eyes. 

"I used to have them, all the time," Amelia continued, looking up at him. _What am I doing? "My mother died when I was a little girl, leaving my father to care for my sister and I. Gracia - my sister - had been especially close to Mama, and a few months after Mama died, my sister disappeared. I was so afraid that more and more people I cared about would leave, that I used to have nightmares about it. I had them for years. The only thing that really stopped me from having nightmares was when there was somebody else in the room with me." _

Valgaav stared at her silently for several minutes, an unreadable expression on his face. Then, softly, he asked, "And you don't have them anymore?" 

Amelia thought he sounded like a little boy when he asked the question, and she felt her heart going out to him. He looked so sad, so vulnerable in the dim torchlight. "Sometimes," she said. "But only when I really have time to think, and only when I'm alone. Maybe once a month, now." 

He looked at her for another minute, then released his hold on her and rolled back over, turning away from her. Amelia sat up and looked at him, uncertain of what to do. 

"Mine never stop," he said softly. "I'm always alone." 

He wasn't coming right out and asking, but Amelia knew what he was saying. _This is crazy, Amelia, her inner voice said. To which Amelia promptly answered, __Shut up. _

She slowly moved closer to him, then reached out and gently took his hand in hers. "You're not alone," she whispered softly. 

Golden eyes watched the sleeping pair through the sphere in his hand, and he smiled. "That was fast," he said. "But then, I already know this story, don't I? I'll just leave the two of them be, then. The time will come soon enough." 

And the man slid the sphere into the pocket in his cloak, pulled up the hood, and went on his way.  


	7. Good Morning! What's This Strange Feeli...

**Slayers FUTURE: Fallen Angel**

**Chapter Seven: Good Morning! … What's This Strange Feeling?**

She could feel herself start to wake up. Determined to get a few extra minutes of sleep, she gripped the blankets tightly against her chin, then snuggled closer to the source of heat beside her. The arm around her waist tightened its grip, pulling her against a smooth chest, and she smiled slightly when she felt the warm breath on her face. Groggily she opened her eyes and found herself staring at a pair of golden eyes, then closed them again as she started to drift off once more.

Hold it.

Smooth chest…

Arm…

Breath…

EYES?!

Amelia and Valgaav shot straight up at the same time, staring at each other in shock. A second later, they had both ripped the blankets off the bed and leaped off of it, standing on either side as they stared at the each other with mixed expressions of confusion, anger, and embarrassment. 

"What in the world were you doing?!" Amelia shouted, her cheeks bright red, wrapping her blanket around her body. 

"Me?!" Valgaav demanded. "You were the one pressing up against me!" 

"You had your arm around me!" Amelia accused. "You were trying to take advantage of me!" 

"You're the one who fell asleep in _my bed!" _

"You're the one who _asked me to!" _

The two of them glared at each other, both of them trying to come up with something to accuse the other one of, and both of them failing miserably. 

And then Amelia covered her mouth, and began to laugh. 

Valgaav's jaw dropped as he stared at the human girl. "Wha - what are you laughing at?" 

Amelia tried to stifle her giggles, but found that she couldn't. "Y-you," she managed to say in-between laughing fits.

Valgaav's eyes narrowed. "And what is so funny about me?"

She pointed at the mirror hanging on a nearby wall, and Valgaav turned to look.

"Ack!" If his face could have reddened any more, it would have. Hurriedly, he dropped the blanket that he'd wrapped around his upper body, suddenly remembering that he was, to put it lightly, male. He turned to glare at Amelia, who was leaning against the bed, still laughing. 

Amelia didn't even notice that he was glaring at her. The fact that this entire scene was so completely ludicrous made it nearly impossible for her to stop laughing. And then she was met by an astonishing sound.

Valgaav…was laughing, too.

The two of them stood in that room, Amelia sitting on the bed, Valgaav standing next to it, both of them laughing hard enough for tears to come rolling out of their eyes. Neither of them could believe that they were actually doing this, but it felt so good to just laugh. Tensions had been way too high lately. 

When they were finally able to get themselves under control, Valgaav cleared his throat and looked at her. "I haven't done that in a long time," he confessed. "And I normally don't like people laughing at me."

"Sometimes it's not a bad thing," Amelia said. "And sometimes people just can't help it. This situation was too hilarious to pass up." 

Valgaav scowled slightly, then smirked at her. "So…what _was with that? That was a little too…hmm…intimate, don't you think?"_

Amelia folded her arms over her chest and glared at him. "Oh, shut up." 

"Hungry?"

Amelia looked up from the book she was reading and found Jilas standing a few feet away. He was holding a tray of food and looking at her expectantly. 

"Oh, is it time for lunch already?" Amelia asked. She placed a marker in the book and closed it, then reached for the tray. "Arigatou, Jilas-san." 

"I thought you might have forgotten," the fox man replied. "Did you sleep well last night?"

Amelia felt her face heat up as she thought about it, and nodded slightly. "I slept fine. But I thought I was a prisoner here. Prisoners don't usually have their food brought to them."

Jilas shrugged. "I just follow me orders, that's all," he said. "Ja ne!" 

_Following orders? Amelia thought. __Hmm. She turned back to the table and reopened the book, determined to finish the chapter she was reading as she ate. _

_A Chaos warrior gains his or her abilities upon receiving the Celestial Orb, a power sphere said to amplify the warrior's already given talents. The Orbs are entrusted to the X until such a time when distribution is necessary, but the X will be required to distribute to himself as well. _

_Each Orb is tuned only to the Chaos warrior it is given to, but while it amplifies the powers of the warrior, it also gives of a fierce aura of power that the minions of the Alpha will sense immediately. Only when another Orb is present will the aura effect be canceled out, making it very dangerous for a Chaos warrior who doesn't yet know of his or her power to travel alone. _

_That sounds just like what happened to Lina! Amelia realized, gasping slightly. __Could…could Lina, Zelgadis, and Gourry be Chaos warriors? A chill ran down her spine, and suddenly she didn't feel like eating very much. She turned the page and continued reading. _

_The Celestial Orbs have a darker purpose, however. Should the Alpha ever come in possession of one, he will be able to gain full control over the Chaos warrior is represents. Once he has all of the Celestial Orbs, the Alpha can then invoke the powers of the Lord of Nightmares, combine them with his own, and bring destruction to the world. The Celestial Orbs must never__ fall into the hands of the Alpha if the world is to be saved. _

Amelia slammed the book shut and stared at the back cover. "This is unbelievable," she whispered. "Why do I feel like I've read this somewhere before? Why do I feel like I already knew all of this? I think I need to get out of this library for awhile." She smiled slightly. "I still haven't explored all of this castle. Maybe I'll go do that now." 

She picked up the book and replaced it on the shelf, then hurriedly finished the food Jilas had brought her and walked out of the room. 


	8. Late Night Musings

**Slayers FUTURE: Fallen Angel**

**Chapter Eight: Late Night Musings**

"Oh, wow."

Amelia had just pushed open a door that she hadn't noticed before, and suddenly felt like she'd been transported to another land. Unlike the landscape from her window, all dark and dusty and scarred, the courtyard she was now standing in was alive with lush plants, the sounds of a stream, and the soft chirping of birds. She could feel the slight tingle of magic, and realized that she must have found an enchanted garden. 

The door had been hidden behind a wall tapestry, and she'd noticed it only because half of the tapestry had decayed, leaving just enough of the door exposed for her to realize what it was. It hadn't been locked, and she was glad it hadn't. The instant she saw the trees and flowers and grass, she fell in love with her new discovery. It seemed so secret.

Then she realized that maybe it wasn't. Because as she stood there, just looking around in awe, she could just make out of the soft sounds of a guitar somewhere deeper into the trees. Someone else was in the courtyard. 

Amelia moved forward, thought the trees, and walked for several minutes before she thought she was getting closer to the sound. _This place is big, she thought. __It must be part of the spell. _

The music actually sounded familiar, and with a jolt Amelia realized that she'd heard it before. Once, not long after the failed attempt at summoning Darkstar, Zelgadis had visited her in Seyruun while he looked through the libraries there, and had played the very same song that she was hearing now. But Amelia knew that it couldn't be Zelgadis…unless she really had been transported away from Valgaav's hideout.

She passed through the low branches of a willow tree, and stopped. 

Sitting beside a small waterfall, on a rock, was the guitar player, lost in his own world as his fingers strummed the instrument expertly.

It was Valgaav. 

Amelia didn't know how long she stood there, watching him and listening to the sad, melancholy notes of the song, but before she knew it, he was drawing the song to a close, and she brought her hands together in soft applause. 

The Ancient Dragon/Mazoku jerked his head up, nearly dropping the guitar. "Wha—?" he managed, eyes wide in surprise. 

Amelia immediately stopped clapping and brought her hand up to her mouth. "Oops," she said. "Sorry. I – I didn't mean to startle you or anything. It's just that I saw the door, and it was unlocked, and then when I came in I heard the guitar, and I wanted to find out who it was, and…"

"It's fine," Valgaav said brusquely. He saw Amelia wince at the sharp tone, then sighed. "I'm just not used to have an audience, is all."

"Oh." She stood there awkwardly for a few moments, unsure of what to say. "You, um, you play very well. Where did you learn?"

Valgaav looked down at the instrument, and a soft, sad look crossed his features. "My mother taught me," he said quietly. "When I was very young. My parents were both minstrels of our Clan – it was something of a family tradition."

"Did – did she teach you the song, too?" Amelia couldn't help asking.

He nodded. "It's the Song of Lost Dreams, and the Hope of Them Returning," he said. "At least, that's the closest translation to the original title of it, and I'm probably the only one left alive who knows it's true name." He stared at the ground silently for several minutes, and Amelia wondered if she should say anything else. Again, he had a vulnerable expression on his face that she had started to recognize, and again she felt an odd connection to him when he was like that. 

Then his expression hardened, and he stood up abruptly. "I have things to attend to," he said tightly. "Come to my chambers tonight. Until then, I don't care what you do – just stay out of my way." And with that, he disappeared into the trees.

Amelia stood staring after him, her mouth open in shock. Then she clenched her fists and frowned in irritation.  "Jerk," she  muttered. "If he thinks I, a Seyruun princess, am just going to meekly follow his orders, he's got another thing coming to him." And with that, she made a vow that she would not, under any circumstances, go to his chambers that night. 

_I'm such an idiot, Amelia thought several hours later as she knocked on Valgaav's door. She had remained true to her vow until the hour she was supposed to go to him, when she had started to think about him having his nightmares and feeling afraid and vulnerable. She was actually kind of proud of herself - it had taken her a full hour to break down and leave her room. _

"Enter."

_Pompous jerk, she thought. She pushed the door open and stepped inside, closing the door behind her. Then she looked around the dark room and saw…no Valgaav._

"You're late." 

The voice was coming from behind her, and she jumped in surprise. "Don't _do that!" she yelped as she spun around and found him sitting in a large chair next to a fireplace that she hadn't noticed before. He had a book open on his lap, and what looked like a children's toy in one hand. One of those ball-and-stick toys where you moved it so that the two balls would hit each other in different rhythms. "Don't you know that it's rude to sneak up on people?" Amelia demanded. _

"I told you to come an hour ago," Valgaav said, ignoring her words. 

"I don't take orders from Mazoku," snapped Amelia. 

Valgaav's eyes flashed. "As long as you're here, you'll take orders from a Mazoku – _this Mazoku. Understand?" _

  She just folded her arms across her chest and glared at him. 

"I _asked if you understood," he said through clenched teeth._

"I heard you," Amelia replied. "But I'm not going to respond to something like that. You can't _order people to do things they don't want to do. If you force them to agree with you, then all you'll end up with are rivals. You have to __ask. And nicely, I might add." _

Valgaav growled softly. "You expect me to beg to a _human?" _

"You're the one relying on a human to help you stop having nightmares." 

Valgaav slammed his book shut and stood up. "I'm not _relying on anyone. It's just more convenient if you sleep in here at night. That way I don't have to make sure you aren't causing any trouble at night, and I can get a decent amount of sleep."  _

The skeptical look Amelia gave him clearly showed how well she bought _that._

The two of them stared stubbornly at each other for almost five minutes straight. 

Finally Amelia heaved out a loud sigh and stamped her foot on the ground. "Baka," she muttered, not sure if she meant herself or the Mazoku in front of her. She walked around the room, grabbing pillows and blankets off of the couches and chairs and throwing them on the bed. Then she began arranging them in something of a barricade, splitting the bed into two separate halves. 

"What are you doing?" Valgaav couldn't help asking.

"There's no law that says I actually have to _touch you to help you stop those nightmares," Amelia replied as she piled up the pillows and blankets. "I'm making sure we don't have another incident like this morning. Is that okay with you?" _

_She's cute when she's mad, Valgaav thought offhandedly. Then he mentally slapped himself. __What the hell are you thinking?! "It doesn't matter one way or another to me," he said, shrugging as he walked over to his own side. "Just don't kick me or anything."_

"Urusai," muttered Amelia as she settled down on her side of the pillowcade. "And just so you know, I'm not going to do this forever. Tomorrow, you're solo." 

Valgaav snorted disdainfully and snapped his fingers, turning off the lights. 

_I swear to Ceiphied, this is the last time, Amelia thought as she drifted off to sleep. _

"This stupid wall of yours isn't working," Valgaav said one night, two weeks later, as he lay on his side of the bed and watched as Amelia again, dressed in what had come to be her favorite nightgown out of all her clothes, began piling up pillows and blankets between them. "Somehow it always comes down during the night." 

"That's why I keep adding more pillows," Amelia replied. She sat on the edge of the bed and admired her new wall…and then the triumphant look on her face vanished as she realized that, truly, all she had room left to do _was sit on the bed. There was no room for her to lie down. "I have an idea. How about I just move __my bed in here and sleep on the other side of the room? It's probably feeling neglected, considering I've slept in it, oh, about three times since I've been here." _

Her vow to Ceiphied hadn't worked – for all but one day out of the past two weeks, Amelia had somehow found herself in Valgaav's room, helping to guard him from whatever demons attacked his dreams at night. The one day had been a lapse on her part, when she'd fallen asleep in the library while reading up on one of the Chaos warriors, _Rho the Sorceress, and had somehow found herself waking up in her own bed in the morning. She had the suspicion that Valgaav had been the one to put her there, but she couldn't be certain. But other than that, they'd spent every night in each others' company – and had bickered and argued every minute they were awake. It was a wonder Jilas and Gravos hadn't run away by then. _

"We're not moving that thing in here," Valgaav said. "It's all…lacy and frilly…"

"You make that sound like it's a bad thing," Amelia muttered as she shoved most of the pillows on the floor, resigning herself to the fact that Valgaav was right – her little Great Wall of Bedding never seemed to stop them from waking up without some sort of contact. In fact, they'd become rather used to it, and it gave them something else to argue about. "At least it's not a pink bed." 

Valgaav sighed. "Damn. Point." 

Amelia grinned happily as he leaned over the side of the bed, picked up a piece of paper that had been separated into two columns, and drew another tally mark underneath the column headed **Amelia. "What's the score?"**

"Fifty to  forty-eight," Valgaav replied. "It's close…but you need to stop pointing things out to me that I can't challenge. Otherwise I'll never get ahead." 

"Let me think," Amelia said, reaching down onto her side of the floor and picking up the book she had stashed there. "Hmm…I don't think so. I like proving you wrong." 

"I bet," muttered Valgaav. "How long are you planning on reading that thing? And what is it, anyway?" 

"I found it in the library," Amelia said offhandedly. "It was written by someone who used to live here, a long time ago." Thinking about that made her remember something else she'd been meaning to ask Valgaav. "Hey, Valgaav? Who lived here before you took over?"

Valgaav had rolled over and shoved his head under a pillow to try and go to sleep without the lights keeping him awake, and now he pulled his head out. "What makes you ask that?" he asked.

"Just curiosity," Amelia replied. "Looking out the windows, this was obviously a city once. And my room…well, unless you're into the habit of collecting women's clothing, then there must have been other people living here."

He sighed and sat up, leaning his upper body against the headboard of the bed. "Once," he said, "a long time ago. This city is Raenos, a name which most of the living have forgotten by now, but I remember clearing. Her time dates back to when my people still ruled the northern skies. I used to come here as a hatchling – relations between the humans here and the Ancient Dragons were very good. We protected Raenos, they aided us. 

"Until the Golden Dragons came and slaughtered my people, leaving Raenos vulnerable. Lord Gaav told me about what had happened, knowing my affection towards the city, even after I joined the Mazoku race. I never blamed the people here for not helping my Clan – there was nothing they could've done. So I was terribly distraught when I found out what had happened, and I came here, to these ruins, to try and make sense of it. That was quite a few hundred years ago, of course." 

"What happened?" Amelia asked. 

Valgaav closed his eyes and sighed. "Much of it still remains a mystery to me. From what I found, and what Lord Gaav told me, Raenos was attacked by a golden being…possibly a dragon, to tell you the truth, but possessing powers a dragon couldn't possibly have. A group of warriors came to Raenos to fight this being, and managed to seal him away inside a talisman, which they then locked up in a temple several thousand miles away. But during their battle, Raenos was caught in the crossfire, and was completely obliterated. After the battle, the warriors disappeared, the temple's location remained hidden, and Raenos lay in her dust." 

Amelia shivered slightly as she imagined what Valgaav described. "And nobody knew who the warriors or the dragon were?"

"Not one clue," Valgaav said. "So, does that answer your question?" 

She nodded, and he went back to trying to go to sleep with the lights one while she returned to reading her book. 

Ten minutes later, she dropped it with a startled gasp. 

Immediately Valgaav, who hadn't been able to sleep at all, sat up and looked at her. "What?" he asked. 

She pointed at the book. "Read that," she said. 

He picked it up and read the passage out loud. "'Written by Lambda Gina Cho, fifteenth revelation, second cycle. The power source has finally been located, this time in the great city of Raenos to the north. We shall travel there on the trail of the Alpha, who most certainly is searching for the power source to gain the necessary strength to begin renewal. We pity the poor souls in Raenos, for they will almost certainly meet their doom within the coming days. Although we wish not for more bloodshed, the lives of the many take precedent over the lives of the few.'" Valgaav lowered the book and looked at Amelia. "What the hell is this?"

"It's a book about a being called the Alpha, who seeks to destroy everything and start the world over – and I think he's related to the Lord of Nightmares somehow – and the Chaos warriors that L-sama chooses to stop him," Amelia explained. She hesitated slightly, then continued. "Before you brought me here, Lina and Zelgadis had both been approached by a strange man in a long black cloak, who gave them odd spheres with symbols on them. Gourry was given one as well." She took the book back from Valgaav and turned to the front of it, where the map of symbols was located. She pointed to the three in question. "These were them," she said. "The book says that these refer to _Rho, __Epsilon, and __Qoph – the Sorceress, the Light Swordsman, and the Chimera. I decided to read further, to try and…are you okay?"_

Valgaav had turned deathly pale as Amelia had been explaining the contents of the book, and when he did manage to speak it was in a hoarse whisper. "The Chaos warriors have begun to gather?" he asked.

Amelia looked confused. "You know something about this?"

"Every Mazoku and Dragon worth anything knows something about the legends of the Chaos warriors," Valgaav replied. "I only know a few bits and pieces, because I was a young Dragon when my Clan was destroyed, and Lord Gaav never talked about it since he had turned against the majority of the Mazoku race. Supposedly the Alpha is a astral being with incredible power, but needs a pure vessel to be able to walk on the physical plane. The Chaos warriors are hand-picked by L-sama, but sometimes they don't all appear at once, or at all. It depends on whether or not She believes that the current world is worthy of survival." 

"How do you destroy the Alpha?" Amelia asked nervously. 

Valgaav shook his head. "Only one of the Chaos warriors can actually destroy the Alpha. He's the Omega, the Finale. That's the only name I know off the top of my head. I also know that there's _never been an Omega. __Never." _

Amelia clutched the book tightly. "Then if this is really true, and not some story…Lina and the others…"

"I can't tell you what they may or may not do," Valgaav said, lying back down. "I do know this, though…the Mazoku and the Dragons are both heavily involved in the Chaos situation whenever it occurs. It's the only time in history when the two races are actually civil to each other. And for that reason…I can't get involved. And I can't allow you to get involved, either." 

Amelia looked at him sharply. "But they're my friends!" she protested. 

"And you're my prisoner," Valgaav replied. "Now go to sleep." 

It was another five minutes before Amelia finally turned out the lights and lay down, and despite her worries she managed to fall asleep in about an hour's time. It was a fitful sleep, full of tossing and turning and bad dreams. 

As for Valgaav, he slept soundly until a couple of hours before sunrise. It was then that he suddenly snapped wide awake and sat up. "A stranger in a black cloak?" he whispered, remembering what Amelia had said earlier. He looked at the sleeping princess, who had finally worn herself out and was sleeping quietly now. "Are you connected to Chaos warriors, too, Princess?" 

_What the hell is going to happen?_


	9. Warning From an Unexpected Ally

**Slayers FUTURE: Fallen Angel**

**Chapter Nine: Warning From an Unexpected Ally**

_It's been too quiet recently. _

Those were Valgaav's thoughts as he made his way through the forest near the ruins that he called home. He hadn't patrolled in the last couple of days, opting instead to read through some of the book that Amelia had found. The legends of the Alpha and the Chaos warriors had struck a chord in him that he wasn't completely certain was innocent, and like Amelia before him, he'd found that he wanted to know what he can. If the need to patrol hadn't come up, he'd probably still be in that library, searching for what information he could find. 

But the fact that there had been no apparent attempt to search for him by either the Mazoku or the Dragons had sent warnings bells off, and he had set out for patrol early in the morning. It was now almost noon, and he was just about finished and more than ready to head back. 

_Screw this, he thought, deciding to just forget about checking the last couple of miles and just return to Raenos. _

And then he saw him. Standing off in the distance, too far away for sound but close enough to see clearly, was the strange man in the black cloak. He was just standing there silently, staring at Valgaav. Then he turned and began walking away. 

"Hey!" Valgaav shouted to the man. "Stop!" When the man didn't, the Ancient Dragon let out a growl and launched himself in the air, swiftly moving to the spot the man was at. 

Only to find him completely gone. 

"What the hell?" Valgaav looked around in confusion. "Where'd he go?" 

_KA-BOOM!_

The explosion caught him off guard, and he stumbled back a bit before catching sight of the source of it. A huge cloud of debris rose up from the ground a couple miles away, closer to the plains that surrounded the forests around Raenos, and the faint sound of a dragon's roar echoed from it. 

"Damn it, now what?" Without a second's thought, he sprinted towards the site of the explosion, hoping that whatever was going on didn't have anything to do with him.

He leaped up onto a tree branch and looked down at the battle.

A huge golden dragon was standing there, fully grown, eyes flashing bright red – completely unnatural for a dragon, of course. The explosion had been caused by its laser breath…but there didn't seem to be a scratch on the dragon. So who had screamed?

And then he saw the second dragon, a female, lying on the ground several feet away, completely still. The only reason the female hadn't be obliterated by the other dragon, and the reason for the aggressor's apparent anger, had been because there was a barrier around the female.

Valgaav groaned when he saw the creator of the barrier, decided that he was just going to stay out of this, and got ready to leave. 

Then he remembered the look on Amelia's face when she thought her friends were in danger, and groaned. _What is__ it about her?! he thought angrily as he turned back to the battle. _

"Need some help?" he asked as he appeared next to the creator of the barrier, and added his own power to it. 

Xellos Metallium did a double take at Valgaav's sudden appearance, but managed not to lose his concentration. "You!" he exclaimed. "What the hell are you doing here?" 

"I'd love to know the answer to that question myself," Valgaav replied. He narrowed his eyes at the possessed dragon. "What the hell is that?"

"It's complicated," Xellos said through clenched teeth. "I don't suppose Amelia Wil Tesla Seyruun is with you." 

"Right now?" Valgaav asked, knowing full well that wasn't what the other Mazoku meant. "No." 

"Far be it for me to pry," Xellos said. "Master's orders. I need to keep this guy occupied long enough for Fi-chan there to wake up."

Valgaav didn't bother glancing at over his shoulder at the Golden Dragon – it was taking all of his concentration to maintain the barrier as it was. Then a chill went down his spine. "A Dragon and a Mazoku willingly working together," he said. "This wouldn't have anything to do with the Alpha, would it?"

"Say hello," Xellos said sarcastically, nodding at their attacker. "And excuse me if I don't go into more detail." 

"Oh, I wouldn't want to get involved, anyway," Valgaav replied.

"Then why are you?"

_Good point, thought Valgaav. "You're in my territory, if you must know. I'll thank you to keep that to yourself." _

"I have better things to do," Xellos shot back. "You do realize, though, that we could stand here all day and do this, and it would only piss this guy off even more." 

"I guess he wasn't expecting to go up against two Mazoku Generals," was Valgaav's reply. "Any ideas on how to get rid of him?"

"Oh, Fi-chan and I had a great plan – until he knocked her unconscious," Xellos said sarcastically. "If we can destroy that body of his, he'll go off on his own until he can get a new one. Of course, there's no guarantee what form it'll be next, since the rules only say he needs a pure form to _enter this world." _

"Destroy a dragon?" Valgaav asked. "Piece of cake. Why haven't you done it?"

Xellos looked pointedly at the unconscious Filia. 

"In that case…" Valgaav stepped back, retracted his power, swept back his cloak and removed Ragu Mazaedis. "_Light come forth!" His wings erupted from his body, and he leapt into the air. The Alpha looked up, and his eyes met with Valgaav's just before Valgaav lashed out with the weapon, slicing cleanly through the dragon's body. He landed nimbly on the ground, turned, and eliminated the dragon with one blast of energy. _

Xellos stared at the scorch mark on the ground that had once been the dragon. "Well," he said, sighing, "back to Sairaag and square one. We've been tracking that guy for a few months now." He turned to Filia, who was finally beginning to stir. "I'll let you go without trouble, Valgaav, since you gave us a hand. But two warnings."

"What?" Valgaav asked. 

"Don't count on such charity the next time we meet," Xellos said. "If I find out you've done anything to harm Amelia…" 

"You don't have to worry about that," Valgaav cut in sharply, much more so than he would've liked. "What's the other one?"

"Be careful," Xellos replied. "The Alpha could be anywhere, and now he can be in any form. He won't forget what you did today. I'll tell you one thing, though – he won't go after you. Not many people can single-handedly wipe out one of his hosts. He'll go after what's important to you." Then he knelt beside Filia and placed his hand on her side. "Oh, and Valgaav?"

"_What?" _

"Say hi to Amelia for me," Xellos said. "Ja ne." And the he and Filia vanished.

Valgaav stared at the place he had been. 

Then he shook his head. "Baka priest," he muttered before heading back to the castle. 

Amelia woke up, and for the first time found herself alone in the bed. She was so used to waking up in compromising positions with Valgaav and arguing with him about it that for a moment she was disoriented. Then she realized how late it was, and sat up quickly. 

"Why did I sleep so late?" she wondered, looking around in confusion. She sniffed the air, and looked over to see a tray and lunch on a table near the fireplace. Her stomach growled, and she sighed. "Food first, I guess. But I wonder what happened to Valgaav?"

She had just settled into one of the armchairs, plate on her lap, when the door opened and Valgaav stepped inside. Amelia waited until he had closed the door to speak. 

"Where were you?"

Valgaav looked at her through his bangs. "Up already? That sleep spell must've worn off quicker than I thought."

Amelia's jaw dropped. "You _sleep-spelled me?" she demanded furiously. _

"Only so that you wouldn't wake up when I got up," Valgaav said defensively. "I was on patrol – I get up early for that."

Amelia remembered a time the week before when she'd woken up before he'd left for patrol, and had sleepily mistaken him for an intruder walking around in the dark room. "Still," she said sulkily. "You could've left a note."

"Awww," he teased as he settled into the chair opposite her and picked up his own plate. "Were you worried about me, Princess."

"Why," Amelia asked, "would I worry about an arrogant Mazoku like yourself?" 

"Whatever," said Mazoku replied, shrugging as he stuck his fork into a piece of meat. "Who cooked?"

"Don't know," Amelia said as she paged through The Book absently. "It was here when I woke up." 

_It won't come after you directly – he'll go after what's important to you._

Amelia gasped when Valgaav suddenly reached over and grabbed her arm, stopping her just before she took the first bite of her lunch. "Wha--?" 

Valgaav recited a quick spell, and Amelia nearly fainted when both lunches suddenly bubbled with strange green liquid, hissing loudly as they disintegrated. She jumped up from her chair just before the liquid spilled over onto her nightgown, and the plate hit the floor with a loud crash. The rug directly beneath the mess also disintegrated into nothing.  

Amelia stared, gasping breathlessly, at what had once looked like her lunch. Valgaav shouted for Jilas and Gravos, who came running, and she barely heard him tell them that from now on, he would be responsible for bringing Amelia her meals, as well as getting his own. Their exit didn't register at all.

Then a pair of arms were wrapped around her, and she felt herself get pulled up against a warm chest. "Take deep breaths," Valgaav said. "Relax. Nothing's going to happen. Just relax and calm down."

She finally managed to follow his instructions, but didn't leave the embrace he'd pulled her into. "What happened?" she whispered. 

"Someone magically poisoned the food," he replied. "And I have a good idea who that someone was. Sit down."

She suddenly realized that they were still hugging, and pulled away quickly, praying that she wasn't blushing. It still unnerved her slightly whenever she saw the somewhat kinder side to Valgaav's personality. As she sat down, she noticed that the poisoned food was gone – Jilas and Gravos must've taken it with them.

Valgaav massaged his temples as she looked up at him patiently. "During patrol today, I met an old acquaintance. You know him well – a certain priest of the Greater Beast Zelas." 

Amelia's eyes widened. "Xellos?"

"Hai," Valgaav replied. "He was with that dragon girl…Filia, correct?" 

This caused the young princess to blink. "Xellos and Filia? And they weren't trying to kill each other?"

"Someone else was taking care of _that part," Valgaav said dryly. "A golden dragon, clearly possessed. I took care of it – so now Xellos owes me one, although I suppose he thinks he already paid me back. Before he took off with Filia, he warned me that while the body was dead, the spirit was alive, and that it would now come after me. Or, more to the point, those that I care about." _

A chill went down Amelia's spine. "What…who was it?"

"Xellos called him the Alpha." 

For a moment Amelia wasn't sure if she'd heard him correctly, he'd spoken so softly. Then she sank back into her chair. "It's true, isn't it? This is proof. And it means that Lina and the others must be involved, if Xellos and Filia are. It can't be a coincidence." She bit her lip, and looked at him. "Did you tell them were I was?"

"No," Valgaav replied bluntly. "But Xellos did ask. Filia probably would've as well, if she'd been conscious. And he mentioned that he was under orders not to pry into my affairs, which leads me to believe that his master has told him not to try and track you down. And if you're right and Lina Inverse is involved with the Alpha just like those two, then she probably hasn't been able to search for you, either." 

Tears sprang up in Amelia's eyes. "So they haven't been looking for me?" she whispered, her voice tremulous. 

Valgaav groaned and rolled his eyes. "Oh, please, don't start crying," he snapped. "Look, I don't _know what's running through their heads. And added to that, __you don't know if the rest of your friends has anything to do with this, either. So please, don't get all bent out of shape. I don't know if I could stand having you around me if you're sobbing your eyes out all the time." _

She quickly swiped the back of her hand across her eyes to wipe away the tears. "Gomen," she whispered. 

"Don't apologize," he said bluntly. He walked over to a hook on the wall and removed his cloak, hanging it and leaning Ragu Mazaedis against the wall beside it. "This whole thing has exhausted me. I'm going to sleep – and you don't have to stay, I'm too tired to dream." He walked over and sat down on the bed. 

"Valgaav?"

He looked up. "What?" 

Amelia looked thoughtful. "Do you really think it's the Alpha? I mean, maybe Xellos was mistaken?"

"Xellos is never mistaken," Valgaav said bluntly. "Besides, he managed to get through my barrier to plant that food. Even if he's not the real Alpha, he's still not someone I want to deal with. And I want you to be careful – no more wandering around at night, okay? When the sun goes down, you're in here. And don't go into the courtyard without me. Xellos seemed to be under the impression that the Alpha won't come after me personally." 

"Just those you care about," Amelia said, repeating his statement earlier. Then she cocked her head and looked at him curiously. "Valgaav? Does that mean…?"

He looked quickly to the side, but not before Amelia caught what looked like the beginnings of a blush. _He's blushing? Wow… "Let's just say you've grown on me," he said roughly. "Now can we stop playing Twenty Questions? Go to the library or something." _

"You just said I couldn't wander around," Amelia shot at him. 

"At _night," Valgaav replied testily. He lay down and pulled the blanket over his head. "I said at __night. You've still got a few hours – and I want to sleep." _

"Okay." 

Sighing with relief, he closed his eyes and rolled over, facing away from her. Valgaav felt himself getting sleepier and sleepier…

…when he felt the bed shift slightly. 

He opened his eyes. "What are you doing?"

Amelia looked at him. "Well, if you sleep now, you're going to be awake later. And then you'll keep _me awake. So I might as well sleep when you sleep." She clapped her hands and killed the flames on the torches with a quick spell. "Good night." _

"Not quite," muttered Valgaav, but he was already drifting off again. His last thought before he fell completely asleep was, _What a strange, strange girl. _

_But really, she's not so bad. _

The blond man growled in frustration. "Just _how long is it supposed to take for these two to get their acts together?!" he shouted furiously. He looked at the two sleeping figures he could see through the crystal. "I'm getting __impatient here! All I want is to __go home. And I can't do that until I hand off all of these damn things – and I can't do __that until these two make up their minds!" _

"Relax, Milgazea," another voice said, echoing around him. "I've told you, these things take time."

Milgazea looked up at the sky and glared angrily. "Oh, you're one to talk, X," he snapped, pronouncing the word '_Xu'. "You're not the one absolutely bored here."_

"At least you don't have to guard to Claire Bible for all eternity," the voice called X replied. "Why do you think I'm having _you do this instead of me?" _

Milgazea sighed. "Because you don't have a choice? Because that's the way our power works?" 

"You're too smart for your own good, you know that?"

"If that's an insult, you just pointed out one of your flaws. If that's a compliment, you have a really big ego." 

X growled softly. "I don't remember you being _nearly this uppity with Lina Inverse when she came to the Katato Mountains." _

Milgazea grinned. "Hey, I was working then. I had to keep up a professional image. And shut up. Who are you calling uppity?"

"So says the dragon so impatient to get home, he'll even pair up a white magic priestess and a Mazoku." 

"Hmph," said dragon muttered. "You made me." 

"Don't whine." 

Milgazea sighed and sat down on a nearby log, wrapping his cloak tightly around him. "Why do I have to stand out here? Why can't I sleep in an INN or something?"

X sighed, a loud rumble that almost made the Keeper of the Claire Bible think a storm was on the way. "Being indoors blocks the frequency," X explained patiently, as if he'd done it a thousand times before. Actually, it was only a hundred, but he didn't have a hell of a lot of patience. "And you need to keep the frequency intact to make sure that someone doesn't do something completely stupid. We've already made sure that the Alpha can't interfere with the others – the princess and the Mazoku/Dragon are the only ones left." 

"You still haven't explained to me why it's so damned important that these two get together," Milgazea snapped. "You know I wouldn't be agreeing to this otherwise." 

"Think. How many crystals did I give you?"

The golden dragon sighed. "Rho. Qoph. Epsilon. Upsilon. X. Lambda. Kappa. Zeta. Omega. Chi. Ten." 

"Correct. And how many warriors are there?"

Milgazea did some quick calculations. "Including those ten – also Beta, Sigma, Gamma, Mu, Nu, Theta, Iota, Phi…okay, so you forgot to give me eight of them."

"I didn't forget. If I were to give you the last eight right now, you'd be wandering around for at least seventeen years before you could hand them off. Those warriors don't exist yet."

Milgazea frowned. "What do you mean, they don't – oh." His eyes widened. "_Oh!" _

X stayed silent.

"Why the hell didn't you tell me?!" demanded Milgazea angrily. "I could've stopped the Alpha from getting so close to them!" 

"You can't stop him," X replied patiently. "That isn't our job, Milgazea. We are the Past. We must always remain in the Past. The fighting is up to the warriors - we are merely the guide.

"And trust me, everything will fall into place." 

Milgazea looked up at the sky silently for several minutes, then lowered his gaze to the crystal in his hand. "Maybe," he said, a little doubtful. "But I don't like it. I just don't like it." 


	10. Leave

**Slayers FUTURE: Fallen Angel**

**Chapter Ten: Leave**

The castle was quiet at night, Jilas and Gravos having both fallen asleep hours earlier. The only ones still awake were Amelia and Valgaav – the two of them had gotten accustomed to sleeping during the day and being awake at night, although Valgaav still insisted Amelia didn't have to do that. _He was the one who needed to keep guard, not her. But she insisted. _

It had been about three weeks since the incident with the Alpha. That night, Amelia was searching through the library, looking for a particular book that had been mentioned in the other one, a spellbook that had been kept by one of the Chaos warriors. She didn't know if she'd find it, but she was still going to look. Valgaav, meanwhile, had taken up a guard position near the entrance to the library when he suddenly heard the sound of something crashing further down the hallway. 

Amelia peeked around the bookshelf she was standing in front of to look at him. "What was that?" she asked. 

Valgaav frowned. "Stay here," he said, opening the door. "And don't leave no matter what." He stepped into the hallway and closed the door behind him. 

Amelia walked down to the lower portion of the library and sat down in one of the big armchairs near the fireplace. There was more light near there, and she felt more comfortable being alone if it wasn't dark and cold where she was. There had been two more Alpha scares in the past three weeks, both of them outside the castle but each one closer than the last. Each time Valgaav had taken care of it, but just the night before he'd confessed that he was worried because each time, the Alpha had also been stronger than before. 

And, like Xellos had warned, his appearance had been different each time. 

Amelia sighed and pulled her legs up against her chest, snuggling deep into the back of the chair. Valgaav would be thorough in his search, she knew – meaning he probably wouldn't be back for at least another hour. Which meant she had to keep herself entertained for another hour. At that thought, she smiled. 

"If you had told me a year ago that I'd actually miss the company of a Mazoku, I'd go into a justice speech and tell you that you were nuts," she said, laughing to herself. "Oh, how your world has changed, Amelia." 

"So he _is a Mazoku. Interesting."_

Amelia gasped and spun around in the chair, leaning over the back to look at the speaker. He was standing by the railing that lined the overhang of the top floor of the library that looked over the bottom, his long pale yellow hair just barely touching his arms as they rested on the wood. His silver eyes were narrowed, a cunning smirk on his face as he looked down at her. 

There was no doubting who he was. 

"Alpha," Amelia whispered, her voice trembling. 

"Correct," the Alpha replied, sweeping his arm back and gliding into a graceful bow. "So? Do you like this form? I didn't think there were any elves left in this world – I thought I'd destroyed them all. Surprise surprise. But they do make splendid hosts, wouldn't you say?"

"How did you get in here?" demanded Amelia. 

He grinned. "It was pretty simple once _he was gone. All I had to do was cause a slight distraction, and he went running. Off to protect his princess, as always."_

_His princess? She shook her head. "There's nothing between me and Valgaav. We're just friends."_

The Alpha wasn't impressed. "Right," he said, snorting in disbelief. "You believe what you want, little girl." His grin reappeared when she narrowed her eyes in anger. "At any rate, I'm here to take care of a few things. In fact, I have so many things to take care of, I even made a list." He snapped his fingers and a piece of paper appeared in his hand. "And, oh look at what's number one on my To Do List. Kill Amelia Wil Tessla Seyruun!" He chuckled darkly, a sound that sent shivers down Amelia's spine. "Well, well, well. Aren't I lucky that you're right here, eh, princess?"

When Valgaav called her princess, he did it in a teasing, affectionate manner. When the Alpha called her that, she had the urge to Ra Tilt the smirk right off his face. "Don't think that I'm a pushover just because I'm royalty," Amelia snapped, jumping off the chair and facing him. She brought her hands together in a spell. "**Fireball!" **

There was a flash – and then nothing.

The Alpha threw back his head and laughed. "You were saying?" 

_Oh, no! Amelia thought, her eyes wide as she rubbed her throbbing hands. __Valgaav's anti-attack magic shield is still up! She looked at the Alpha as he stated to descend the steps into the lower area. __I'm in trouble!_

"_Valgaav!" _

*****

"Next time Jilas cleans, I need to remind him to make sure he puts things away right," Valgaav grumbled as he set a suit of armor right on its pedestal. He'd turned the corner, prepared to fight, only to find it lying on the ground where it had fallen. "At least I can tell Amelia it was just a false alarm." 

He sighed and started to walk back to the library, slowly this time and in no big hurry. The darkness of the corridor was soothing to both his Mazoku nature _and his Ancient Dragon heritage. At times like these, the two feuding types of blood in his body could almost be at peace. He ran his fingers along the handle of Ragu Mazaedis absently. _

_It's been almost…what, six months since I brought Amelia here? Maybe a little longer? He shook his head. Had it really been that long? He counted backwards in his mind, subtracting dates and events as he went through the past months. __Yeah, six months. Wow. It feels like she's always been here. _

When had he gotten used to having her around? He couldn't be sure. He also couldn't be sure why he'd _kept her around that long. "I told her that she was bait for Lina Inverse," Valgaav recalled. "She must wonder why I never acted on that." _

At first, she'd just been a pain in his side, kept around only so that she wouldn't tell Xellos or anyone else where his hideout was. Then she became useful, when they discovered that she could help stop his nightmares. It's been months since he'd last had a nightmare, though – but they'd gotten so used to sharing a room that they'd kept at it. Amelia had even finally stopped making that ridiculous wall out of pillows. When had that been? A month ago? 

But his nightmares _had ended. There had been a couple of times when Amelia had slept in the library, and Valgaav had slept peacefully those nights. So why was she still around? Did she still consider herself a prisoner here? __Was she still a prisoner? _

These were questions Valgaav didn't know the answers to. The only thing he did know was that, every time he thought of Amelia leaving the castle, he felt a peculiar ache in his chest that made him immediately think of another subject. He didn't like the idea of her not being around. He couldn't _imagine not being around her. _

Suddenly a chill went down Valgaav's spine, and his golden eyes widened at the unwelcome sensation. 

"_Valgaav!" _

"_Amelia!" Gripping Ragu Mazaedis, Valgaav shot forward as fast as his power would carry him towards the library. There was no doubt in his mind what had happened. __Damn you, Alpha!_

He slammed into the library door, shoulder first, throwing the doors open and sliding into an attack position immediately to assess the situation. 

An elf – the Alpha – stood near the fireplace, his arm wrapped around Amelia's throat and a dagger against her skin. "Move and she dies," the Alpha hissed, glaring a challenge to Valgaav. 

"Let her go," growled Valgaav. "It's me you want, not her."

"Don't be so sure of that," the Alpha replied. "I would've come after her sooner or later." He reached up with one hand and gently touched Amelia's cheek. "For a human, she's not such a bad specimen. I can see why you keep her around."

Valgaav's eyes flashed dangerously, and his growls became even deeper in warning. "Get your hands off of her." 

"And why should I?" asked the Alpha, smirking. "It isn't as if _you've placed any claim on her. Although usually I don't go for a Chaos Warrior – but to get on __your nerves, I might make an exception." _

Amelia's eyes widened at the Alpha's statement – both out of surprise of what he'd said and fear over his intentions – but if Valgaav was caught off guard, he didn't show it. Amelia gasped as Valgaav's arms suddenly began to bulge, the muscles rippling as the skin changed to a deep black hue and claws grew from his fingers. Scales erupted from his arms, and from his back exploded a pair of huge, dark wings that seemed to fill up the room. "Get. Away. From. Her," Valgaav whispered, his tone low and deadly. 

There was a tenseness in the Alpha's posture that Amelia hadn't sensed before. Her eyes widened as she looked at Valgaav, and he nodded slightly, catching her gaze and understanding. 

_The disruption hasn't set in yet, Valgaav thought, gripping Ragu Mazaedis. __Good. "You're mine!" Valgaav shouted, bringing around the Darkstar weapon. "__Lgiht Come Forth!" _

The blade shot out, and Valgaav charged forward, aiming straight for the Alpha. 

_Fool! the Alpha thought. __I'll survive this, but the girl won't! He went to push Amelia in front of him as a shield –_

-- and discovered that he was no longer holding onto the princess. While Valgaav's charge had distracted him, Amelia had managed to wriggle out of the robe he'd been holding onto, leaving him holding only that piece of garment. 

Amelia crouched underneath the table and pressed her hands against her ears as the Alpha's angry screams echoed through the library, and tried not to think about how close she had come to death. If Valgaav hadn't shown up when he had… 

And then the screams had vanished, and the light had died down, and the library was quiet. Amelia cautiously looked out from under the table just in time to see Valgaav fall to his knees, his wings disintegrating as they were banished from his body, dispelling any sign of his dragon blood from his form. All that remained of the Alpha's host body was a scorch mark on the floor in front of the fireplace. Ragu Mazaedis fell to the ground beside its master, light blade gone. 

"Valgaav," Amelia whispered. She got to her feet and ran to him, throwing her arms around him without thinking. "You came. You saved me. You stopped him. He's gone." Tears were streaming down her cheeks as she pressed her face into his hair. 

Valgaav lifted his arms and wrapped them around her waist, rising to his feet as he did so. He rested his chin on the top of her head and closed his eyes, just feeling relieved that she hadn't been hurt. 

_That was too close…_

An uncomfortable feeling was forming in his stomach, like a lead weight that was getting heavier and heavier. Despite Amelia's muffled words, Valgaav knew in his heart that the Alpha was _not gone – that he would be even more determined to kill Valgaav. He remembered the look on the Alpha's face right before the light blade pierced him…_

~*~

_"Forget the girl," the Alpha hissed, his face contorted with rage and loathing.  "Next time, it'll be you__." _

~*~

Valgaav didn't know why the Alpha wanted him dead – was it really just because he had managed to stop him from killing Xellos and Filia? There had to be more to it than that. 

And then the Alpha's words once again crept into his mind…

~*~ 

_"Normally I wouldn't go for a Chaos Warrior…"_

~*~

_Oh, L-sama…Amelia… The weight grew heavier, and with it, Valgaav's heart. The last piece of puzzle clicked into place, and he put his hands on Amela's shoulders, and slowly pushed her away from him ._

"Valgaav?" Amelia looked up at him, blue eyes bright with tears, uncertainty and more than a little gratitude reflected in them. And something else…but Valgaav pushed it away, and steeled himself for what he was about to do. 

_Forgive me, Amelia…_

"Get out." 

Those were not the words Amelia had been expecting…it was not the tone she had been anticipating. He spoke harshly, angrily, and the look in his eyes was almost terrifying. He looked like the Valgaav he had been back when he'd tried to summon Darkstar. "W-what?" she whispered. 

He removed his hands from her shoulders, and turned his back on her. "You've become more than a nuisance to me," he growled. "I don't ever want to see your face again, do you understand me? Get. Out." 

"But…"

"NOW!" 

He had never raised his voice to her. 

There was a tense silence. 

Then Valgaav heard the sound of feet running, a door opening, and then closing with a loud crash. The sound of footsteps grew fainter as Amelia ran down the hallway.

_It's for the best, he thought. __She'll be safer…with them. She'll be safer away from…me. _

And Valgaav fell to his knees, and let the tears fall.


	11. Falling Into You

**WARNING: Due to _LIME_ content, this chapter is rated _R._**

**Slayers FUTURE: Fallen Angel**

**Chapter Eleven: Falling Into You**

Amelia ran out of the library, tears streaming down her cheeks as she sprinted towards her room. She only needed a couple of minutes to grab her talismans – that was all she wanted, she didn't want anything else that Valgaav had given her. She didn't want anything that would remind her of him.

She was free, she was leaving, and she never wanted to see him again.

She bolted through the door and grabbed her neckpiece and bracelets from the dresser, snapped them on, then spun around and ran through the door again, not slowing for an instant. 

She just wanted to get out of the castle. She wanted to go home. She wanted to see her father, to be comforted by him…

_Do you really?_

How far away was Seyruun, anyway? It didn't matter…she'd find out at the nearest town. She could make it to the nearest town. 

She'd have to grab some food first. 

Amelia headed for the kitchen, her tears finally drying as she wiped away the last ones. She passed the library, and noticed dimly that the doors were open, and it was empty. _Kitchen_, she thought. _Kitchen. Kitchen. Kitchen. And then I can leave. I'll leave here and never…come…back…_

She suddenly stopped and slumped against the wall, sliding down to sit on the floor. "L-sama, I don't want to leave," she whispered, wrapping her arms around her knees as she struggled not to cry. "I don't want to go back to Seyruun. I love it here. I'm more free here than anywhere else." 

_You don't want to see your father? You don't want to see your friends? _

Not now. How could I face them? How could I tell them?

_Tell them what? _

That I…

_That you…_

Don't make me say it!

_Tell him._

No…he made it clear…I have to leave.

_Is it what you want? _

No! 

_Is it what he wants?_

I…

_Listen._

Amelia suddenly registered the faint sounds of someone crying, someone not very far away. She looked up and took note of her surroundings, and realized that she was sitting against the wall opposite the doors to Valgaav's chambers. The crying seemed to be coming from the other side of them. 

"Valgaav?" she whispered. _Why is he crying? _

Without thinking, she got to her feet and walked over to the door. Her hand was on the handle before she could stop it, and she was slowly easing it open, trying her best not to make a sound. She didn't want to startle him…

She could barely see him in the dim candlelight…he hadn't changed the candles that day, there was just enough light to see by. But he was there, sitting in one of the two armchairs, hunched over with his face in his hands. The last time he'd look  so vulnerable was when she'd confronted him about his nightmares, but she couldn't remember ever seeing him cry. He'd never let his guard down like that before. 

Before she could stop herself, she had closed the door behind her and had walked over to him. She knelt down in front of him and laid her head down on his lap. 

All at once he seemed to stiffen, as if in disbelief, and then his hands came away from his face and dry eyes stared down at her in shock. "Nani…?"

Amelia lifted her head to look at him. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "But…I can't leave." 

Valgaav swallowed hard, and tried to look menacing. It didn't work, not with tear tracks down his face and unshed tears sparkling in his eyes. "I told you to leave," he said hoarsely.

"And I told you," she said softly, "that I don't take orders from Mazoku." 

He drew in a ragged, unsteady breath. 

"Why did you tell me to leave?" Amelia asked carefully, never breaking eye contact. Her unwavering gaze unnerved him. 

"I…I don't want you to get hurt," he whispered, looking down at his hands, which were now resting on his legs. "It's too dangerous around me. You'd be safer with your friends." 

"Because I'm a Chaos Warrior, and so are they?" He looked at her, startled. "I was listening to the Alpha, too, Valgaav. But I also remember that the others aren't supposed to travel alone, or the Alpha can track us. So I'd be in even more danger then." She bit her lip and finally looked away, aware that her cheeks were beginning to heat up. "And…I'm not ready to leave, anyway." 

"Why?" he demanded. Or tried to…the word came out sounding more like a plea. He felt something wet on his face, and knew that he was beginning to cry again. "Why would you put yourself in danger like that? I'm a Mazoku, and I'm an Ancient Dragon! You're supposed to hate me!" 

She pulled herself up so that she could wrap her arms around him, and Valgaav was stunned into silence when he felt soft lips brush against his skin, kissing the tears away as they fell. "I know," she whispered, pulling back slightly to look at him. "But I can't. I've fallen in love with you."  

Blue eyes met gold in silence as the two stared at each other, neither knowing quite what to say after that. Suddenly Amelia seemed to lose what confidence she had suddenly gained, and began to back away from him, uncertainty in her eyes. 

His hands came up and grabbed her waist, pulling her onto his lap suddenly, causing her to release a somewhat less-than-dignified squeak in surprise. One hand moved up to cup the back of her neck. "That's good, Princess," he whispered, his voice husky. "Because I've fallen in love with you, too." He tilted his head down and captured her lips in a soft, melting kiss that sent chills down her spine, her jumbled thoughts suddenly clearing and understanding only one thing…that _this_ was she'd wanted, what she been waiting for. This one moment. It was all that mattered. 

Being with Valgaav.  

_And in your eyes_

_I see ribbons of color_

_I see us inside of each other_

They pulled apart slightly, still close enough that they could feel each others' breath. Their eyes met, silent questions being posed to one another, and then they came together again. A little more passion. A little more desperation. 

Valgaav was aware of nothing other than Amelia. He was aware of her hands on his chest, her fingers tracing across his muscles as they moved. He ran his hands up her back and through her black tresses, reveling in the softness of them. He moved his mouth away from hers and pressed a trail of light kisses along the base of her throat, and her grip on his shoulders tightened. __

_I feel my unconscious merge with yours_

_And I hear a voice say_

_What's his is hers_

Amelia whimpered softly, unsure of what was happening to her. Then his mouth left her neck and returned to her mouth, pressing against it. Something soft brushed against her lips, and she parted them, allowing him access. Valgaav growled softly as he pulled her flush against him, forcing her to straddle him as they sat perched on the chair. She could feel him trembling as she ran her hands along his arms. As his mouth came down on hers again, she wanted to feel more of his skin. She wanted to get closer. __

_I'm falling into you_

_This dream could come true_

_And it feels so good_

_Falling into you_

Valgaav drew in a sharp breath when he felt her hands move to the clasp of his cloak, her fingers twisting the lock to pull it away from him. He felt her slid under the vest he wore, and then push it off his shoulders slowly. Her fingers traced his collarbones, and she pulled away from him and lowered her head to ghost her kisses in their wake. 

His skin felt like it was on fire everywhere she touched, and all he could do was sit there with his head back as she traced the contours of his torso with her hands and lips. "Gods, Amelia," he whispered hoarsely. 

She stopped, and looked up at him with uncertain eyes. "Am I…doing something wrong?"

He couldn't help but chuckle softly at the confused expression on her face, and immediately stopped when it changed to one of hurt. "Come here." He pulled her up so that they were facing each other again. Then he leaned forward and kissed her deeply, an act with caused her to gasp softly to catch her breath afterwards. "This chair wasn't made for this," he whispered. "Let's go somewhere more…comfortable." He kissed her again when he felt her shiver at the tone of his voice. __

_I was afraid_

_To let you in here_

_Now I have learned _

_Love can't be made in fear_

She sat on the edge of the bed where he carried her, and watched as he walked around the room and blew out the candles, leaving only the most minimal of light for them to see by. When he returned to her, she threw her arms around his neck and caught her hands in his hair, opening her mouth to him in a deep, passionate kiss. He sat on the bed with her, hands reaching around her unclasp her neckpiece and bracelets, setting them on the floor when they were removed. Then he moved to the tie of her dress, and she drew in a sharp breath and pulled away to look at him. __

_The walls begin to tumble down_

_And I can't even _

_See the ground_

"Amelia?" he whispered, a question in his tone. 

She looked at him, uncertainty clouding her judgment. Briefly she wondered if they were going to fast. And then she saw the fear in his eyes, a fear of rejection, a fear of taking the next step…a fear of love. Amelia leaned forward and put her arms around him, kissing his chest softly, pressing her face against his shoulder. "Yes," she whispered. 

Shakily, he undid the tie of her dress. There was a rustling of a fabric as it slid to the floor. 

_I'm falling into you_

_This dream could come true_

_And it feels so good_

_Falling into you_

The sheets were cool against her skin as he lowered her to the bed, touching her and kissing her in ways she had never experienced before. Coherent thoughts were no longer necessary for the two – they were only focused on each other, on loving each other, on exploring this new path of their relationship. Valgaav moved with the grace of a cat, self-assured and gentle, trying his best not to scare her. Neither of them felt nervous, instinct having taken over completely. His name became a quiet mantra on her lips as they became one, growing louder and more desperate with each passing moment. She clung to him, sobbing softly as she sought to reach that moment of bliss, and he held her, soothing her with kisses and words as they moved together, until they reached their peak and came together, crying out each others' names in passion.  __

_So close your eyes_

_And let me kiss you_

_And while you sleep_

_I will miss you_

Valgaav kept his arms around her as they recovered, their breathing returning to its normal pace, their senses returning to normal. Amelia turned to him, and snuggled against him. They lay there, just holding each other, knowing that there was no turning back now. 

Valgaav kissed her forehead gently. "I love you," he murmured. 

There was no answer, and when he looked, he saw that she had fallen asleep, curled up against him. __

_I'm falling into you_

_This dream could come true_

_And it feels so good_

_Falling into you_

He smiled softly, and pulled her closer as he, too, succumbed to exhaustion. 

_Falling into you_

*****

And somewhere, two strands of fate twisted together as one, and everything moved a step closer to the edge. 

She watched it all, and nodded slightly. _This is good, she thought. __It'll all come together…soon._


	12. Milgazea's Choice

**Slayers FUTURE: Fallen Angel**

**Chapter Twelve: Milgazea's Choice**

The sound of footsteps echoed through the forest as their maker approached the isolated cabin. There was only one window, covered with cloth, shadowy figures just barely visible through the fabric. Muffled voices could be heard slightly. 

_Knock, knock. _

The door immediately opened, and the figure was ushered into the cabin. 

Milgazea pulled down the hood of his cloak and shook out his blonde hair. "You need to be more watchful," he advised. "How could you be sure it was me?"

"I'd know your presence anywhere," Xellos said from the other side of the cabin. 

"We're being careful," Lina assured him as she closed the cabin door behind him. "Actually, we were beginning to wonder if you just weren't going to show."

"And miss this?" Milgazea chuckled as he stepped into the main room and looked at the assembled group before him. "Do you realize this is the first time so many of us have been gathered at once since this whole mess began?"

"Yes," Filia replied, her tail twitching slightly, "and I hope to Ceiphied that this means you're going to finally tell us what this is all about." 

"Most of you have already put the pieces together – or most of them," the other golden dragon replied. 

"For the benefit of Zangulus, I think we should go over everything again," Gourry Gabriev said as he stepped out of the makeshift kitchen and into the room, Sylphiel Nes Lada right on his heels. 

"That's right, I forgot that you actually know about this." Milgazea looked at the swordsman pointedly, and Gourry steadily stared back. 

Zelgadis cleared his throat, and drew attention back to the matter at hand. "Milgazea – for the past six months or so we've been following your instructions. Now I think it's time you explained exactly what is going on – completely. I can tell you're worried."

Trust the chimera to pick up on his anxiety. Milgazea nodded curtly. "First – I'm Milgazea Me Yal, keeper of the Claire Bible and also Chaos Warrior X. I apologize for bringing you so far from Zoana." 

"Martina understood," Zangulus replied. "But this better be good. I'm not really fond of being woken up in the middle of the night by some guy I've never met, telling me that I have to go to some deserted cabin right away and shoving some strange stone in my hand."

"Speaking of those stones, please take them out now." 

Lina, Zelgadis, Gourry, Sylphiel, Xellos, Filia, and Zangulus each did so, laying them in the palms of their hands as they looked at them. 

"Do you see those symbols?"

Sylphiel nodded. "But we haven't been able to figure out their meaning."

"Each of those symbols corresponds to a specific part of a legend," Milgazea explained. "One for the each of the Chaos Warriors chosen by the Lord of Nightmares to decide the fate of the world."

"The Alpha," Xellos and Filia chorused.

"What's that?" Sylphiel asked curiously. 

"A demon," Gourry murmured, "who seeks to bring destruction to the world. His goal is to destroy everything and begin life again, starting from the beginning." 

Everyone stared at him. "How," Lina asked witheringly, "do you know that, and I don't?"

"He knows it because the legend has been passed down in his family," Milgazea replied. "The Epsilon, or Light Swordsman, has always been a Gabriev, and has always wielded the Sword of Light. It's one of the keys to unlocking the mystery behind the Alpha himself." 

Blank looks all around. 

Milgazea sighed. "Okay. Let's start at the beginning. Xellos, Filia…anything you'd like to add would be most appreciated." 

"Sure," Xellos said, shrugging. "Seeing as how we Mazoku have been dealing with this for centuries…" 

"How come I've never heard about any of this until now?" Lina suddenly demanded. "For the past six months or so, Zelgadis and I have been wandering around, following that damn map you gave us – by the way, we found that temple you were looking for – and not having a clue as to why. We could've spent that time searching for Amelia!" 

At the mention of the missing princess, Milgazea casually cleared his throat. He also noted that Filia and Xellos suddenly seemed very preoccupied with the walls of the cabin. "Yes, about Amelia…" 

Zelgadis frowned as the dragon's voice trailed off. "About Amelia?" he repeated, trying to get him back on track.

"Did you hear that?" Milgazea turned to look at the window, suddenly tense. 

"Hear what?" Sylphiel asked.

The sound of footsteps outside…and a magic chill in the room…

Xellos tensed up. "I know that…" 

"Is there a back door," hissed Milgazea. 

"Yes," Lina replied. 

"Let's go. Now. Quietly. The minute you're outside, Xellos and Filia, get everyone to safety." 

Gourry gripped the handle of the Sword of Light. "Is it…?"

"_Chaos…_" 

Milgazea stood there, and motioned for them to get moving. Everyone but Xellos and Filia headed for the back entrance. "You two, go," he growled. "I'll make sure he doesn't follow."

"Like hell," Xellos snapped. "You can't take him on your own."

"I know I can't," Milgazea replied. "That's why I have to. You know about the legends – about the Chaos Warriors. Take these." He reached into his pocket and removed two more spheres. "These are the last two I have. Zeta and Omega."

Filia's eyes widened. "Omega…!" 

"You know who they belong to," Milgazea continued. "Take the others and go to them. I'll take you awhile to get there…you won't be able to use magic, or else the Alpha will track you. Once you're all together, head for the Temple of Omega – Zelgadis and Lina know the way. You'll find the final pieces of the puzzle there." 

"Milgazea…" Xellos struggled to think of something to say, glanced at Filia, and then sedately took the two spheres from the golden dragon. He looked at him, and nodded slightly. "I'm sorry."

"Thank you," Milgazea said simply. "Now go. You don't have much time."

The Alpha had almost broken through the dragon's barrier. Xellos and Filia turned and ran for the back door, nearly colliding with Zelgadis, who was holding it open for them. "Where's Milgazea?" the chimera asked as the Mazoku and Golden Dragon came barreling out. 

"Not now," Xellos said tersely. He grabbed Zelgadis and nearly dragged him over to Zangulus and Gourry. Filia gathered Lina and Sylphiel to her. The Mazoku looked at her. "Raenos?"

"Too far," Filia replied. "We'll go as far as we can."

"Stick close," Xellos said, flashing her a quick smirk. "I wouldn't want to leave you behind." He vanished, taking Zel, Gourry, and Zangulus with him. 

"Why you--!" The girls followed. 

Inside the cabin, Milgazea breathed a sigh of relief when he felt them leave, and lowered his defenses. 

The door immediately slammed open, and tall, shadowy figure stood in the entranceway. "I should have known it'd be you," the Alpha snarled. "Somehow you've managed to foil my plans since I was awakened, X."

Milgazea stared at him, his gaze ice cold. "And what else was I supposed to do? They're out of your hands now, Alpha."

"But you aren't."

"I've completed my task." Milgazea smiled sadly. "Sad as it may be, I have completed what I set out to do. I'm not needed for the rest of this, Alpha, and you know it. Zeta already knows that she's part of this, and soon she'll know exactly what _this_ is all about. 

"You see, Alpha, I'm the one expendable piece of this puzzle. And that's why my friends were able to escape without you detecting them." 

The Alpha fumed silently. "You shielded them from me," he accused. "That barrier wasn't to keep me out, but to hide them. A mistake."

"And why is that?"

"Because I know how much strength you had to give to keep that barrier going without your 'friends' detecting it. If they had sensed it, they would've stayed to fight beside you. Instead, you deceived them." 

_Not all of them, Milgazea thought, thinking of Xellos and Filia. _And the others will know soon enough. __

"You're half right," Milgazea said, nodding. "I was shielding something. Not necessarily them." 

The Alpha narrowed his eyes, two red orbs in a shadowed face. But Milgazea's mind did not reveal anything. 

"You can't read my mind…you aren't strong enough for that," Milgazea said smoothly. "I know your weaknesses, Alpha." 

_He mustn't know…that there were two. _

The Alpha laughed dangerously. "Foolish dragon," he said. "You've set yourself up." 

Golden eyes narrowed. "Nani?"

"Did you forget?" A golden light formed around the Alpha, and Milgazea's eyes widened as the shadow slipped away to reveal another form. "I am at my strongest…when I am in the possession of purity." 

Milgazea fell to his knees before the Alpha's true form. "By Ceipheid," he whispered. "I never knew…I had no idea…" 

MILGAZEA. 

His eyes widened slightly. "You…

BE STRONG.  

Milgazea closed his eyes as warmth spread through his body. _Yes…my lady._

The Alpha attacked, and Milgazea did not scream. 


	13. Misguided and Miserable

**Slayers FUTURE: Fallen Angel**

**Chapter Thirteen: Misguided and Miserable**

The pain was bad. 

Gasping, Valgaav sat up in bed, his hand pressed against his chest where his heart was. Golden eyes were wide as he drew several deep breaths to draw and calm his racing heart. 

"Valgaav? Daijoubu?"

Amelia's quiet voice seemed to immediately soothe him, and he swallowed one more gulp of air before lying back down. "I'm fine," he said. "Just…a nightmare."

She looked at him in concern. "About your past?"

He shook his head. "No…actually, I can't remember what it was about." _But I've had the same one for the past week now. Could it be a warning of some sort? And if so…of what? _

Amelia slid her arm over his waist and laid her head down on his chest. "You've been having those a lot lately, haven't you?" she asked quietly. 

He moved his head slightly and kissed her forehead. "Don't worry about it," he said. "It's nothing."

But even as he spoke the words, he knew it wasn't the truth. He felt, deep inside, that something was wrong. 

Something was terribly wrong 

*****

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU LANDED US IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DESERT!" 

Xellos and Filia cringed as the red-headed sorceress tore into them. While Lina had calmed down in several ways since the incident with Valgaav months earlier, one thing she had not lost was her temper. Granted, she didn't lose it as much as she used to – but suddenly appearing in the middle of a desert with no sign of civilization to speak of would be just the thing to set her off. And the targets of her fury were the two who had transported her there. 

"WHAT WERE YOU _THINKING?!_" 

"Lina, calm down," Zelgadis said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sure Xellos and Filia have a reasonable explanation." He looked at the two of them. "Well?" 

Xellos and Filia began talking at once. 

"Ah, well…about that…"

"We weren't really _trying_…"

"Got a little lost…"

"Sense of direction was a bit messed up…"

"It's all his fault!" 

"It's all her fault!" 

Xellos and Filia finished at the same time, then glared at each other. 

"There, there," Sylphiel said soothingly. "I'm sure it was just a little mistake."

"A _LITTLE _MISTAKE?!" 

"_Lina._" 

"Don't you '_Lina'_ me, Zelgadis Graywords! You can't possibly stand there and tell me that you're _happy about being in the middle of nowhere!" _

"We're _not_ in the middle of nowhere," Xellos interjected. "This is where we were trying to go…just several miles from where we were actually trying to land."

"It seems we were attempting to go a bit out of our range," Filia said sheepishly. "Even with our combined power it wasn't enough." 

"I think we're all missing the main point," Zangulus suddenly interrupted. 

"Which would be?" Lina asked testily.

"Where were we actually going?"

This caused all eyes to turn towards Filia and Xellos once again. 

"Well…you see…"

"It's like this…"

"We accidentally stumbled…"

"We just kind of ran into him…."

"Oh, you explain, Filia!" 

"Oh, you explain, Xellos!"

"_Knock it off!_" Lina shouted. 

Filia glared at Xellos. "Why should I explain? You're the one who actually talked to him."

"But Lina is much less likely to _fry you, Fi-chan."_

"Don't you _Fi-chan_ me, Namagomi! You're going to tell them about Valgaav or I'm going to –"

"_Valgaav?_"

"…ooops."

Xellos attempted to not look smug, and failed miserably. 

"How did that creep get into this conversation?" Lina asked testily. To her, Valgaav was an incident she'd just as soon forget. She'd been extremely relieved when he'd disappeared after failing to summon Darkstar, and was content to go on living without any knowledge of his whereabouts. She noticed the smug look on Xellos' face, and fixed a glare on him. "_Xellos." _

Xellos immediately lost the look, and looked slightly nervous. "Well…okay, it's like this. The Alpha, according to Milgazea, has for some odd, odd reason targeted Valgaav several times. Filia and I ran into Valgaav outside the ruins of an old town named Raenos…"

"That's where the Alpha was defeated the last time," Zelgadis interjected quietly. 

"How did you know?"

"That's not important right now," Lina cut in. "Go on, Xellos."

"At any rate, the Alpha has been returning time and time again to try and take out Valgaav in some way," Xellos replied. "Since he keeps showing up in Raenos, that would probably be a good place to wait for him."

"I thought we were supposed to keep away from him for now," Sylphiel said in a confusion. Gourry nodded. 

"Um…well, there's another reason we need to go to Raenos," Filia said, glaring at Xellos. "And before I say anything, I just want you to know that I didn't know any of this until a few days ago. I was unconscious the whole time Valgaav and Xellos were talking."

"What is it?" Zelgadis asked impatiently. 

"According to the namagomi here – and confirmed by Milgazea – Amelia's in Raenos." 

Everyone looked at her in shock. "Amelia?" Lina repeated. "In Raenos. _Why?_" 

"Because Valgaav is the one who kidnapped her," Xellos replied. 

"And you _knew_ this?!" 

"Unfortunately, I was under orders not to tell you," Xellos said.

Zelgadis glared at him. "Didn't you say you were also under orders not to come near the rest of us?"

"Yes, well, that was unavoidable. And so is this, now. We need Amelia."

"She's one of the Chaos Warriors, isn't she?" Gourry looked at Filia for confirmation. 

Filia nodded.

Lina sighed. "Great. Just great. Okay, fine, I'm sure there's more to this story, but for now – just teleport us or whatever to Raenos, and then we can deal with it there."

There was an uncomfortable pause as Filia and Xellos looked at each other uneasily.

"…what now?"

"We, um, can't transport us there," Filia said sheepishly. "We've kind of exhausted ourselves getting this far. We'll have to walk."

"…how far?"

"Now, Lina-chan, don't get mad…"

"Xellos. How. Far?" 

"…about five hundred miles." 

"_FIREBALL!_" 


	14. Dark Future

**Slayers FUTURE: Fallen Angel**

**Chapter Fourteen: Dark Future**

In the middle of a vast forest stood a temple, hidden from sight from those who didn't know it was there. It was sealed tight, and had been so for many years. And even then, only when its sister temples, two others, were open as well.

One was already open. The other, still sealed. Both of these temples had been created as decoys for this Temple. 

The Temple of Chaos had been opened by the Chimera and the Sorceress. 

The Temple of Omega could only be opened by the Omega himself, its location hidden. 

The Temple of Nightmares was the final temple. Although the structure itself was in the mortal world, inside of it was a different realm altogether. 

It was here, that She dwelled.

The Lord of Nightmares, Mother of All Things, also known as L-sama, watched from the center of her universe as her Chosen struggled to overcome their obstacles. She had done well, choosing these mortals – having grown tired of the Alpha's attempts on the world, she had chosen them with the intention of putting an end to the otherwise endless cycle of death and rebirth.

Although she had to admit, as she watched Xellos and Filia yell at each other, sometimes she wondered if she'd made the right choices after all.

After a while, she tired of watching the group advancing towards Raenos, and turned instead to the last of her Chosen. Their image grew clearer in her pool. 

It hadn't surprised her when Amelia and Valgaav had taken to each other. Though she hadn't expected him to kidnap her, she had known that the little princess would eventually break through Valgaav's barriers. That was the kind of soul Valgaav was. It was what made him rare among the Mazoku race – the fact that he actually had a soul. Most Mazoku didn't. Valgaav did. Most of the Mazoku Lords, their priests, and their generals did, in fact. It wasn't a well-known fact. 

Then L-sama happened to glance up, and she noticed something that made her extremely amused. 

Criss-crossing the ceiling of the temple were millions of silver strands. Each one represented a different mortal or immortal. The way they were entangled indicated the paths that those they stood for took in their lives. 

Two of the strands had recently begun to wind around each other – Valgaav's and Amelia's. And from the point where the strands were wound the tightest, another, much smaller and harder to see strand had begun to branch off. 

"I wonder if they know," L-sama murmured in amusement. 

Whether they did or not, this would make the coming events interesting. She called down the strand and summoned up another image in her pool, using her powers to see into the future. 

When she was finished, she looked back at the image of Amelia, smiling happily as she listened to Valgaav play his guitar in the enchanted garden at Raenos. 

"Be happy while you can," L-sama murmured. "And get strong." 

It was too bad, really, that she couldn't change the future. The Lord of Nightmares was very powerful, but even she could not change time. Sometimes she disliked the fact that she could even see into the future a little. 

But since she couldn't do anything, she decided not to dwell on it, and instead focused on watching her Chosen once more. 


	15. No Place to Hide

**Slayers FUTURE: Fallen Angel**

**Chapter Fifteen: ****No Place**** to Hide**

Amelia stared through the window at the seemingly-endless rain. "It's been like this for almost a week, now," she said, sighing. She pulled her cloak tighter around her to ward off the slight chill that had entered the castle when the rains had begun. 

"It rains a lot here, this time of year," Valgaav replied from behind her. The two of them were in the library, for once just relaxing rather than searching for any other clues that had to do with the Chaos Warriors and the Alpha. "I wouldn't be too worried – but come away from the window before you catch a cold!" 

"It's not any warmer further in," Amelia replied, but she did as he asked. "As much as I've grown to love Raenos, I'm finding myself missing the warmth of Seyruun." 

"That's because Seyruun never has what you'd call winter," grumbled Valgaav, sitting up straighter in his chair. 

"How come you never mind the cold?" Amelia couldn't help asking, standing in front of him with her hands on her hips. 

"The Ancient Dragons had their territory in the northern continents of the world," Valgaav replied. "I was born and raised in this type of weather. And this is only rain. Wait until it snows." 

Amelia shuddered. "No thanks." 

Valgaav grinned. "It'll happen sooner or later, princess." The grin slowly became more of a smirk. "And don't forget, you have me to keep you warm." With that, he reached out and caught Amelia around the waist, pulling her down onto his lap. 

Amelia let out a little shriek of surprise, and then laughed as she put her arms around his neck. "You're a nut," she said affectionately. 

"So I've been told," Valgaav replied, lowering his head for a kiss. 

Amelia smiled up at him dreamily a minute later, after he'd pulled back. "Do that again," she said, eyes bright. Valgaav chuckled again, and moved to do so – only to freeze and straighten up. 

Amelia felt the alarm run through his body, and her expression turned cautious. "What is it?" she asked. "Danger?"

"I don't know," Valgaav replied. He stood up, helping Amelia to her feet, and frowned as he seemed to listen for something that only he could hear. 

"Is it _him?_ The Alpha?"

"I don't know that, either," Valgaav answered. "It's coming from outside the castle – a sense of something familiar that I can't quite grasp…"

His voice trailed off when a loud feral scream shook the entire castle, echoing throughout the stone walls until it faded away. Amelia gasped. "That sounds like the wyvern that attacked Seyruun!" she exclaimed. "Zelgadis and I defeated it with two Ra Tilts, but…Valgaav?" She looked at him, and a chill went down her spine.

Valgaav was rigid, his golden eyes flaming with anger as waves of power seemed to wash off of him. Amelia took a step back as the power became visible to her, and was stunned to see that shape that it took when wrapping around Valgaav – it gave off the illusions of wings, as if he had called on his dragon's blood to lend him strength. "Val…gaav?"

"That slime," Valgaav growled, his voice deep with fury. "That arrogant, self-absorbed hell spawn! The nerve of him – to enslave one of Wyrmkind, even if it is only a mindless cousin to the true dragon, and then send it here! He'll pay!" With that, Valgaav ran from the library, heading for the outer entrance of the castle to meet this challenge. 

Amelia hesitated only a moment, mostly out of surprise. This was the most difference in Valgaav's attitude that she'd seen since coming here – and it only made her more certain of what she'd been suspecting. As the days went by and they became more entwined in whatever was going on with the Alpha, Valgaav was becoming more and more like the young dragon he had been before Gaav had made him into his general. She couldn't help but speculate on the type of power that Valgaav had as a dragon. 

But she knew all too well the effects that happened when his dragon power combined with his Mazoku power. She ran out of the library after him. 

Valgaav was already outside, using his Mazoku speed to get him out into the open quickly. The first thing he noted was that there was no more rain…it had stopped, and he suspected the reason way. No doubt the Alpha had sent the rain, the mask the wyvern's arrival. Otherwise, Valgaav would've heard the beating of the creature's wings. 

Speaking of the wyvern, he could see it clearly, hovering over the forest on the rim of the city, where he had encountered Xellos and driven back the Alpha for the first time. With a howl, Valgaav phased so that he was facing the wyvern directly, the city and castle behind him. "Are you the Alpha, or just a beast that serves him?" he asked. 

The wyvern opened its giant jaws and screamed, loud enough that a normal human would've had his eardrums shattered. Good thing Valgaav wasn't human. "A beast, then," Valgaav said with obvious contempt, and a little pity, as well. The wyvern had been well corrupted by the Alpha – that was the only reason it wasn't running from him, screaming. The mindless cousins always steered clear of the Dragon Clans, for instinctive fear of their intelligence. But even if it _had_ been ensorcelled, it was still a creature of base instinct. It would react, not act. He had cunning, while it only had size. 

_Easy enough, Valgaav thought. "You've underestimated me, Alpha. I was Lord Gaav's general for a reason." He gathered his power, summoned it before him, and fired it off at the wyvern, aiming directly for the exposed belly of the beast. _

The wyvern twisted in the air, opened its mouth, and swallowed the energy whole. Valgaav was taken aback. "What --?" 

"_Move! Over here!!_" Amelia's voice came out of nowhere, and Valgaav reacted instantly, phasing and reappearing where her voice had originated from just as the wyvern released the blast right back to where he had been. The energy blast slammed into the ground, shaking it and leaving a good-sized crater in its wake. 

Valgaav looked over to see Amelia floating beside him with the aid of a well-timed Ray Wing. "What are you doing here?" he demanded. "Get back in the castle!" 

"You can't defeat it alone!" Amelia retorted. "It absorbs any spell you fire at it – that's what one of them did in Seyruun! You have to have two simultaneous spells, one to occupy its mouth and another to take it out." 

Valgaav looked at her, surprised – and then he nodded. "All right, then. I'll be the distraction, you get rid of it."

"No, _I'll _be the distraction," she said unexpectedly. "My spells aren't as strong as yours – I _might be able to kill it, but you __definitely will. This one's bigger than the one that attacked Seyruun." _

"I can't –" 

"You can, and I'm not giving you a choice," Amelia insisted. "I'll be okay." As the wyvern began to turn to face them, having recovered from the surprise of having its target disappear from in front of it, Amelia flew directly into its line of vision. "Over here!" she called, waving to get its attention. "Come on!" 

Valgaav tensed as he watched Amelia fly in the opposite direction, the wyvern turning so that its back was on Valgaav. _It only has the capacity to deal with one target at a time, Valgaav thought. _This might work – so long as Amelia doesn't get herself killed.__

Amelia stopped in mid-air, and then turned. She closed her eyes. "_Source of all souls which dwell in the eternal and the infinite; everlasting flame of blue…_" 

Valgaav began gathering his power as Amelia chanted the Ra Tilt, preparing for the second blast to wipe out the wyvern. 

"_Ra Tilt!_" Amelia cast, the spell flying towards the wyrm. The wyvern spread its wings and reared back, mouth open to receive the spell. The minute the jaws clamped down on it, Valgaav released his own spell. 

"Amelia, _move!_" he roared as he fired the blast, catching the wyvern off guard and slamming it into its back and wings. Amelia managed to stay clear of the wyvern's jerking actions from the impact, and she flashed Valgaav a victory sign, which he confidently returned. 

_I wouldn't be so confident…_

The silky voice caused Valgaav to stiffen, and his attention was brought back to the convulsing wyvern. As he watched, an ethereal glow spread throughout the creature, starting from its mouth and moving back. The energy from Valgaav's spell seemed to evaporate right off of its skin, leaving it whole and uninjured. 

Valgaav felt himself go pale. Somehow, the wyvern had used the power of the Ra Tilt to counter his spell – and was now unharmed and pissed! With a loud roar, the wyvern turned to face Valgaav with a speed it hadn't seemed to possess before. Out of the corner of his eye, as Valgaav tried to put up a shield, he saw the long tail come up and slam into Amelia from behind. At the last second she managed to move just enough so that she didn't get the full force, but she cried out, and lost her control of her Ra Tilt. 

"AMELIA!" Valgaav screamed, his power exploding from within him. Wings shot from his back, his arms muscled and grew, and the Dragon and Mazoku blood clashed within him once more as he tried to race after her, to catch her before she hit the ground. They were high enough that there were still a few minutes…but the wyvern was _there!_

"DRAGON SLAVE!" 

Valgaav barely had time to shield himself and throw himself into a dive as the black magic spell came exploding from outside the forest, slamming into the wyvern and catching it off-guard quickly enough that it was unable to swallow it. He didn't see what happened next as he reached Amelia, and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her against his chest as he floated the last feet through the trees to land on the ground, both of them unharmed.  

Not too long later, there was a huge crash and tremor as the body of the wyvern slammed into the earth less than a mile from Valgaav and Amelia. It was so huge that they could've been _ten miles away and still feel the same amount of impact. He hugged Amelia close, waiting for the shockwave to die down. _

When it was finally still, Valgaav and Amelia both relaxed. "That was close," Amelia said, looking up at him. "What happened?" 

"I'm not sure…" He stood up and helped her to her feet, steadying her. "Are you okay?"

"I think so," Amelia said. "A little dizzy, but otherwise I think I'm fine. Is the wyrm…dead?"

"I'm almost positive," Valgaav replied. "Come on. We should go make sure." 

They made their way through the forest until they came to a huge clearing that the wyvern had made with its crash landing. The massive creature was completely still, not a shred of life left in it. Its scales were badly singed, and it was only on seeing the damage that Valgaav remembered what it was that had taken the creature down. 

Amelia cautiously made her way towards the wyvern, inspecting it out of pure curiosity. Valgaav followed closer, watching the woods around them. He wished he'd remembered to bring Ragu Mazaedis with him…the Light weapon would've come in handy right now. 

"Well, _there_ you are!" 

Amelia gasped and spun around in search of the voice, while Valgaav merely looked up. "Xellos!" he hissed, golden eyes narrowed as he glared up at the hovering Mazoku. "So _you're_ here, too!"

"Yes, and you should be grateful." Xellos landed smoothly in front of Valgaav. "If we hadn't been on our way here, you would've been wyrmfood. I'd say Lina-san fired off that Dragon Slave just in time." 

"Lina?" Amelia gasped. "She's here?" 

"What's going on, Xellos?" demanded Valgaav. 

"Yes, Lina's here, along with Zelgadis, Gourry, Sylphiel, Zangulus, and Filia. They're all heading in this direction right now…I decided to move a little faster and make sure it was really you." 

Valgaav growled at the fact that his question was ignored. "_Xellos…" _

Xellos looked at him innocently. "Yes?"  

Valgaav was one step away from throttling the Zelas Metallium's Priest-General when he heard the sound of running. 

"Xellos, where are you?" Filia's voice rang out. "How _dare you leave the rest of us behind like that!" A moment later, the group broke through the trees that stood across from where Valgaav, Xellos, and Amelia stood. _

"There you are," Lina growled. "You've got some nerve, Xel…los…" Her voice trailed off as she caught sight of Valgaav…and just beyond him, Amelia, kneeling on the ground and staring at her friends. 

Lina blinked. "A…me…lia?" she managed. 

As often as she had imagined being reunited with Lina, Zelgadis, and the others, at that moment Amelia didn't have a clue as to what she was supposed to handle it. She didn't know what to say, or what to do. A few months ago, that wouldn't have been a problem, but now there was the fact that she had, quite literally, been sleeping with the enemy. 

"Hi," Amelia said weakly. It was the first thing she could think of to say. 

Then Lina did something very out-of-character. She ran forward and practically picked up Amelia, spinning her around. "You're okay!" she exclaimed.

Amelia's eyes went wide, and she couldn't help laughing. "Yes, yes, I'm okay," she said, her black hair swirling around her face. "What are you doing here, Lina?"

"Following Xellos and Filia," Lina said. She glanced warily at Valgaav. "And what are _you_ doing here, Amelia?"

Valgaav raised an eyebrow at Amelia.

Amelia bit her lip. "Ano…it's a long story, Lina…"

"Are you okay?" Zelgadis asked abruptly. His hand was already on his sword, like Gourry's and Zangulus' were, and he was looking at Valgaav even though he was talking to Amelia.

"I'm fine, Zelgadis," Amelia said, stepping between him and Valgaav. "Please…you don't have to keep your sword ready. Valgaav won't hurt you."

"He's a Mazoku, Amelia," Lina said. "He kidnapped you."

"Well…yes," Amelia agreed. "He did do that…but he hasn't hurt me. And besides, you've been traveling with Xellos, and _he's a Mazoku." _

Sylphiel studied Amelia. The younger girl had grown quite a bit since she'd last seen her, that fateful time at Sairaag during the battle with Hellmaster Phibrizo, but there was something else that was different about her aside from a change in height and some growth in the chest. That and the way she was acting, with her defense towards Valgaav… "Amelia-san, are you pregnant?" Sylphiel asked.

All conversation came to a screeching halt as everyone looked at Sylphiel. 

"Wh-what makes you ask that?!" Amelia yelped. 

Sylphiel tapped her bottom lip with her finger. "Well, you seem to have put on a slight amount of weight, and there's a certain change in your aura…your humors are altered a bit. And then there's the way you keep glancing over at Valgaav-san…" 

Valgaav looked at Amelia in disbelief. "Amelia?" 

Amelia had a healthy blush from listening to Sylphiel. "I…I wasn't sure…I mean, just because I haven't started my cycle on time doesn't mean anything…" 

Lina's eyes widened. "Wait…you _are?" She looked from Amelia to Valgaav and back to Amelia. "HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?" _

"Ahem," Xellos said. "Well, you see, Lina, when a man and a woman…" Xellos immediately did a nosedive into the ground, with the help of Mace-sama.

"That _wasn't_ what she meant, Namagomi," Filia growled. 

Amelia fidgeted under Lina's gaze. "Ano…it's a long story…" 

"I assume it's _his_?" Zelgadis glared at Valgaav. 

"Well, it certainly isn't Gravos or Jilas'," Valgaav retorted, glaring right back.

"Why you…" Gourry stepped forward, bringing out the Sword of Light slightly. "You forced her, didn't you?!" 

"Gourry, stop!" Amelia said. "Valgaav, you stop, too." Valgaav hesitated in his draw of Ragu Mazaedis. Amelia looked defiantly at her friends. "He didn't force me, and yes, it's his," she said. "I consented completely."

"Amelia," Lina said, trying to understand, "are you saying that you…_slept_ with him…even after what he tried to do last year?" 

"That was a long time ago, Lina," Amelia said. "He's changed."   

Lina looked unconvinced. "He kidnapped you."

"Extenuating circumstances," muttered Valgaav. He met Zelgadis' glare easily. "I haven't harmed one hair on her head the whole time she's been here," he said defiantly. 

"He really hasn't," Amelia agreed. She looked at her friends imploringly. "Please, believe me! Valgaav really has changed!" 

"You don't have to try and sell me to your friends, Amelia," Valgaav said brusquely. "I really don't care what they think – just so long as they don't try to kill me." 

Lina, Zelgadis, and Gourry exchanged glances. Sylphiel and Zangulus, who had never encountered Valgaav before, were indifferent, while Xellos and Filia seemed more inclined to be on Amelia's side. Finally Lina sighed…and fixed Valgaav with a steely glare. "You do anything…_anything…to hurt her, or threaten us, and I swear I'll Dragon Slave you so fast there won't be any pieces left to pick up. Got it?"_

Valgaav smirked, but Amelia placed her hand on his arm, and he refrained from the retort he'd been about to deliver. The two of them looked at each other for a minute, and then Valgaav sighed. "I suppose you all need a place to stay."

"That would be nice," Sylphiel said before anyone else could cut in. "We've been walking for _days_…if it weren't for Filia-san's dragon transformation, we probably would've gotten here much later."

"A good thing you didn't," Valgaav said, glancing at the wyvern remains. He looked up at the sun, shielding his eyes with his hand. "Let's go, then. The castle isn't far from here." 

"…castle?"

*****

"DAMN IT!" The Alpha yelled furiously, grabbing a glass goblet off his table and heaving it at the wall. It shattered into several pieces. "_Damn you, Lina Inverse!_ You just _had_ to interfere! Well…you'll get yours…you'll _all_ get yours!" 

_*You'd like that, ne?*_

"Urusai," the Alpha snarled to a voice only he could hear. "I can still render you unable to speak, Golden Dragon."

_*Ah, but then you wouldn't have access to my memories, now, would you?*_

The Alpha declined to answer his host. 

_*You already know the outcome of this battle…why don't you just give up?*_

"Outcomes…can be changed."

*****

"And this used to be my room," Amelia said, pushing open the door to the spacious suite she'd first been given several months earlier. "You can stay here, Lina." 

"I don't have to room with anyone?" Lina asked curiously, looking at Filia and Sylphiel. 

Amelia shook her head. "There are enough rooms for everyone, unless you want to room with someone. There are clean clothes in the wardrobe, although I doubt you'll find anything to your taste in here – they're mostly dresses," she added. 

"I'm fine," Lina said, waving it off. She sat down on the bed, and Filia and Sylphiel inspected the room. "Ne, Amelia…what _is this place?" She gestured to the ruins that could be seen through the window. _

"It's called Raenos…or it was," Amelia said. "The people here used to have a pact with the Ancient Dragons, but once the Ancients were wiped out, they were left defenseless." 

"Raenos?" Lina asked, her eyes wide. 

Amelia nodded. 

"Amelia, there's something you should know about…"

"About the Alpha? I already know. He's been trying to kill me and Valgaav for months now."

Lina and Sylphiel blinked. "Oh…so you know?" Lina asked. Amelia nodded, but noticed that Filia didn't look at all surprised. 

"Ah, there you are."

They all jumped at Xellos' unexpected voice. "Namagomi, don't _do_ that!" Filia fumed. "What are you doing in here?"

"Yes, Xellos, what _are_ you doing here?" Lina asked dryly. 

"Oh, just dropping something off for Amelia," Xellos said, pulling a small red orb out of his pocket. He tossed it to Amelia, who caught it. "Milgazea told me to give that to you."

Amelia looked down at her hands, and her eyes widened at the sight of the small red orb. "Then…I really am one? A Chaos Warrior?" 

Lina, Filia, and Sylphiel looked at Amelia curiously. "How," Lina asked, "do you know what we're called?" 

Amelia flushed slightly. "Well…I found this book…it goes into great detail on the different Warriors, the Prophecy of the Alpha, and there are other accounts from past Warriors in it."

Xellos raised an eyebrow. "I see. It's a complete account since the last Alpha rising?" 

Amelia nodded. "I think so. Those Warriors must have succeeded in sealing him away, though, or else the account – and us – wouldn't exist." 

"Where is this book?" Xellos asked curiously.

"It's in my room right now," Amelia said. "If you want to look at it, I can go get it." 

"Don't bother," Xellos said, waving it off. "I can get it myself. See ya." He vanished. 

"I wish he wouldn't do that," Filia muttered. 

"I hope he doesn't try appearing in Valgaav's room," Amelia said. "There are anti-magic shields on it."

"Teleportation isn't magic for Xellos, it's a way of movement," Filia grumbled. 

"OOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWW! DAMN IT, VALGAAV!"

"There's an anti-teleportation shield on it, too." 

The four girls ran out of the room and down the hallway towards the room Amelia and Valgaav shared, and nearly collided with Zelgadis, Gourry, and Zangulus coming from the other direction. All seven of them stopped and stared at Xellos, who was curled up in a tiny ball on the ground in front of the bedroom doors, whimpering.

The doors opened, and Valgaav came out, his arms folded across his chest. "You really think I wouldn't have precautions against you, Xellos?" Valgaav said, smirking down at him. "No one comes into my room uninvited. Next time, knock like a normal person." 

Xellos managed to sit up, his violet hair hanging in his face. "Why should I?" he grumbled. "I'm _not_ a normal person."

Valgaav shrugged. "Whatever. What do you want?" 

"He wants to see the book," Amelia explained. 

Valgaav rolled his eyes. "Is _that all?" He snapped his fingers, and the book appeared. _

"I thought there were anti-magic spells here," Lina muttered to Amelia. 

Valgaav heard her. "There were," he said, "but considering how many magic-users are here, I took them down. There _are still anti-teleportation shields in, though – I'm not risking the Alpha finding his way inside _again_." He handed the book to Xellos. _

"Again?" Xellos asked. "He was inside the castle before?" 

Valgaav and Amelia nodded. 

"Hmmm." Xellos opened the book and flipped through it. 

"What are you thinking, Namagomi?" Filia asked. 

"Nothing," Xellos said offhandedly, turning and walking away as he began reading the pages. 

Everyone watched him turn the corner and disappear from sight. 

"Well, at least _he's_ found something interesting," Filia muttered. She sighed, stretched, and yawned. "I think I'm going to go lie down…I'm worn out." 

"Me, too," Lina agreed. "We've been up since before dawn…a rest would be good." This was the basic consensus from Gourry, Sylphiel, and Zelgadis as well. 

"But I didn't finish showing you all the rooms," Amelia said. 

Valgaav put an arm around her shoulders. "They're all in the same area…feel free to look through any doors, unless they're locked," he told his guests. "Amelia…we need to talk." And with that, he led her into their room. 

"He better not hurt her," Lina muttered. 

"Relax, Lina," Zelgadis said. "I doubt he would." 

"I'm surprised…you were ready to strangle the person who kidnapped Amelia," Lina said to him, raising an eyebrow. "What changed?"

"The fact that Amelia seems to be just fine, and we've got more important things to worry about right now," Zelgadis said. He tugged lightly on a lock of short red hair. "Let's go take a look at those rooms Valgaav was talking about." 

"Sure," Lina agreed. "Filia, you can have the one Amelia already showed us." It was a little too girly for Lina's tastes...

"Really?" Filia beamed. "Thanks! I think I'll go have some tea before I take a nap…" 

Zelgadis chuckled. "Same old Filia."

"Ne, where'd Gourry and Sylphiel go?" Lina realized, looking around. "And Zangulus, too…" 

Zelgadis shrugged. "They'll be fine. Come on." 

****

Amelia turned to Valgaav in their room. He was sitting on their bed, his shirt off, running his fingers through his turquoise-colored locks. "What did you want to talk to me about?" she asked curiously.

He looked at her with serious gold eyes. "Is it true, what that Sylphiel girl said? Are you really pregnant?" 

Amelia flushed, and played with the hem of her dress. "I…I think so…I mean, it's too soon to tell, but Filia and Sylphiel both seem pretty certain, and I've noticed some of the signs…" 

Valgaav sighed. "I'm sorry…I wasn't taking precaution." 

She looked at him. "What do you mean?" 

"I know a few tricks, to avoid getting women pregnant," Valgaav replied. "I really should've taken precaution…but it happened so suddenly, and I never thought about it…" 

Amelia shrugged awkwardly. "I was taking my own precautions…but I guess they weren't good enough. I…I don't mind, though." She touched her stomach lightly. 

Valgaav looked at her. "Ame-chan…" 

"I'll get rid of it if you want me to." 

He looked at her, shocked that she would even suggest it. It hadn't crossed his mind, once. His clan had always taken care of their young – children were among the most prized possessions of the Ancient Clan, especially since the Ancients had been so few in number. "I don't," he said firmly, standing up and walking over to her, wrapping his arms around her. "Don't think that for a minute – the child is yours, and mine as well. And I will fulfill my duty as its father…" 

"But." Amelia looked at him. "There's a 'but' there, isn't there?"

Valgaav nodded. "The Alpha, for one. Magic always goes haywire with pregnancy…this isn't the best time, but we'll get through it. Once we get a stronger understanding of what role each of you have to play, we can take precautions to protect you and the baby. But what really concerns me is, then what?"

"Then what?"

"After we defeat the Alpha…and he _will be defeated…you'll be free to go home," Valgaav said. "I wouldn't last a day in Seyruun…the White Magic Capital of the world. It would drain me, slowly, but surely." _

"It…would…?" 

"Hai, sou desu ne," Valgaav replied. "My magic is primarily Chaos Magic…and my magic is what makes me, me." 

"But Xellos…!" 

"He never stayed in Seyruun for a long time, straight through," Valgaav said. "He shows up when he's needed, but other than that, have you ever seen him there." 

"No…"

"And there's also your father," Valgaav continued. "Do you think Philionel the Pacifist would want a Mazoku, and one who served under Gaav, the Demon Dragon King, as a son-in-law?" 

Amelia felt tears stinging her eyes. "Then…then I won't go home! We can stay here…" 

"Constantly hiding out from the other Mazoku Lords?" Valgaav asked. "Most of them would do anything to kill me…and our child, if they knew he or she existed." 

Amelia pulled out of his embrace and turned around, wrapping her arms around herself. "You sound like you don't want to be with me…"

"That's not what I'm saying," Valgaav said, putting his hand on her shoulder. 

Amelia shrugged off his hand, and looked at him. "Then stop trying to find excuses that will keep us apart!" she exclaimed with tear-filled eyes, before yanking open the door and running from the room. 

"Amelia!" Valgaav shouted after her, but she was already gone by the time he reached the door. 

Valgaav slumped against the doorframe, a hand to his forehead. _Great,_ he thought. _Just what I need…_

Then he stiffened as a rush of power went through his senses, throwing his entire body into alert. 

"It can't be," he whispered. "How could he have gotten in…?" And then he felt another rush…of fear, and panic. 

"_Amelia!_"  


	16. Casting the Roles

**Slayers FUTURE: Fallen Angel**

**Chapter Sixteen: Casting the Roles**

Valgaav ran down the hallway, nearly colliding with in front of the T-junction with Xellos, who was coming from the opposite direction. The two Mazoku looked at each other for a moment, then nodded and sprinted down the third hallway, in the direction that Amelia had gone. 

"Freeze."

Both of them skidded to a halt just around the next corner and did just that. Golden eyes and violet eyes were wide at the sight of the Alpha, standing in the middle of the hallway, an arm wrapped tightly around Amelia's neck, his hand glowing with energy as it was held dangerously close to her head. 

The Alpha smirked. "Didn't think I could get in here, did you?" he asked. "There _are_ benefits to having a dragon's body again, wouldn't you say?" 

Valgaav snorted. "So you managed to claim another Golden Dragon, and you used its magic to bypass mine. So what?"

"That's not an ordinary dragon," Xellos said quietly, his voice shaking with fury. "That's Milgazea…one of the Chaos Warriors."

Valgaav looked at him, startled. "What?"

The Alpha chuckled. "Well, aren't you the little know-it-all. Let me see...Kappa, correct? The Priest." He laughed. "Oh, yes…it's your infuriating line that's in charge of sealing me away, isn't it? Well, we'll see…we'll see. I couldn't believe that I was able to get my hands on another Golden Dragon so soon – not to mention one of the Chaos Warriors _and the keeper of the Claire Bible. It feels so good to be in an innocent again…for I awhile I was worried I'd have to go after that female you travel with, Kappa." He licked his lips slightly. "Perhaps I'll still go after her…"_

Fury filled Xellos' face. "You leave her alone," he said tightly. A chill went down Valgaav's spine. He hadn't seen a look like that on Xellos' face since…well, never. Xellos looked truly pissed. 

_Well, Valgaav thought. _It seems I'm not the only Mazoku who's formed an attachment to someone we're supposed to be against..._ He filed the knowledge away for later use, then focused on the Alpha. "Let Amelia go," Valgaav said. "It's me you're after…"_

"You're so sure of that," the Alpha drawled. "Although I do admit, you _are_ the reason I decided to go after this one first, it's not just her I'm interested in. It's her power." He lightly touched Amelia's cheek with his other hand, grinning when she flinched from his touch. "Did you know that each Chaos Warrior has his or her own special role? And a power to match? Those powers are what I'm after…and Zeta is one of the hardest to tap into. Her power is of the Heart, after all…something She claims I don't possess." The Alpha's eyes darkened for a minute, and then he went back to smirking, looking away from Amelia at straight at Valgaav. "I wonder if there's a way to make it easier…a way to break her. Perhaps…" And he let his glowing hand drift down and hover above Amelia's abdomen. 

"STOP!" Valgaav shouted, taking a step forward. 

"_Don't move,_" the Alpha snarled, eyes narrowed. "There's no rule that says she has to be _alive for me to tap into her power." _

Valgaav stopped. 

Amelia looked at Valgaav with pleading eyes, unable to move to cast a spell, or even to turn her head. 

"We're leaving now," the Alpha said calmly, as if daring Valgaav to attack. "If either of you…or any of your little friends…follows, the child dies. And if anyone thinks that's an okay sacrifice…remember, I can do a lot worse things to _her_ than death…" 

Valgaav paled. "Amelia…" 

"Say bye-bye to the nice Mazoku, Ame-chan," the Alpha said. Amelia cringed at the sound of Valgaav's nickname for her being spoken in his mocking tone. "It's the last time you'll ever see them." 

Amelia's eyes widened. "No…!" But the air around them began to shimmer, and before she could say anything else, or before Xellos or Valgaav could even consider trying to stop them, they were gone. 

"AMELIA!" Valgaav shouted, moving forward just as they disappeared, his hands coming into contact with hair. He fell to his knees, fists clenched. "Amelia…" 

Xellos cursed loudly. "Damn it…and I couldn't get a reading on the teleportation, either," he said. "They're gone." He looked at Valgaav. "I _thought_ you had alerts up for him."

"I _did_," Valgaav snarled, facing Xellos. "But my powers are limited…and because they're dragon-based spells, a Golden Dragon can pass through without any problems. I didn't think he'd have a dragon for a host!" 

"Well, that thinking just cost us one of the Chaos Warriors," Xellos said hotly.

Valgaav stood up. "Chaos Warriors? What about the fact that it's _Amelia_…my _mate!" _

Xellos rolled his eyes. "So you've officially taken her as your mate? A human? Pathetic. A disgrace to Mazoku."

"And I suppose a Golden Dragon is a lot more accepted by the Mazoku Race?" Valgaav snapped. "Never mind the fact that the two races have been at _war…_" 

Xellos' amethyst eyes widened, and he moved forward, covering Valgaav's mouth with his hand. "Are you _nuts?" he hissed. "Don't go saying it out loud! You think Fi-chan and I want this getting out to Beastmaster and the High Elder?" _

Valgaav blinked, and his jaw dropped. "You mean you _have taken her for a mate? I was just joking! I figured there was something, but not…" _

Xellos realized that he'd just shot off his mouth. He hung his head. "Okay. Here's the deal: I don't get on your case about Amelia, you don't get on mine about Filia. I'm serious…we're keeping it secret for a reason."

Valgaav snorted. "I'm the last person you have to worry about telling secrets to the Mazoku Lords _or the Dragon Council," he said. "They both want me dead, remember?"_

"Oh, yeah." Xellos sighed, closing his eyes briefly. Then he opened them. "Okay," he said, a serious look on his face. "I think we need to go get the others…we need to figure out what to do?" 

"Do?" 

"To get Amelia back, baka!" Xellos smirked at the look on Valgaav's face. "You didn't _really_ think you were going to do it on your own, did you?"

Valgaav looked at him for a minute, and then stood up. "To be honest…I'm a little surprised you'd care. We're not exactly on best terms, Xellos."

"We weren't," Xellos agreed, "but that was then." 

Valgaav considered his words. Then he held out his hand. "Okay, then." 

Xellos shook his hand once. "Now let's go get everyone else." 

*****

"Get in there." 

Amelia fell to the ground, wincing more from the shock than from injury. She glared up through a series of energy bars that made up the cage she was suspended in. The Alpha smirked down at her. "Let me out," she said. 

"Yeah, right," the Alpha drawled. "That's not happening anytime soon, princess."

"Don't call me that." 

"What? _Princess?_" The Alpha grinned at the look on her face. "That is what you are, isn't it?" 

"No one calls me that except…" She cut herself off, and instead just glared at him. 

"Except who? That sorry excuse for a Mazoku you call your mate?" The Alpha smirked. Amelia stayed silent. "Give me the silent treatment all you want. You aren't here for company. You're here to be a means to an end. Now be a good little prisoner, and shut up." He turned and walked away, hair flying out behind him. The door to the room she was in shut, leaving her suspended in the cage in total darkness. 

Amelia wrapped her arms around herself and shivered. Thanks goodness she was dressed in somewhat warm clothing – a maroon shirt, skirt, and cloak lined with fur. She pulled the cloak tight around her, then stuck her hands in the pockets on her skirt. 

Her fingers brushed against something smooth. 

Amelia pulled out the small red orb that Xellos had given her, the symbol of Zeta which she recognized from the book etched into it. "You're no help," she said softly. "I thought being around the other Chaos Warriors was supposed to protect us." 

The orb just sat there. 

Amelia sighed and slipped it back into her pocket. She leaned against the bars of the cage and touched her stomach gently with her hang. Even though she knew she wasn't far along enough, she could almost feel the baby kick slightly. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'll try to protect you…but I don't know what to do anymore…" 

_So you're just going to give up? _

Amelia blinked. "Who said that?"

_I did._

Amelia scowled. "And just who _are you?" _

The voice chuckled softly. _You don't even remember the one who saved your life in the __Katato__Mountains__?_

Amelia paused for a moment, and then her eyes widened. "Wait…Milgazea?" 

_Yes._

"But I thought…!" 

_That I was being controlled by the Alpha. Well, yes, in a sense I am. That me can no longer have any contact with anyone outside of his own body – in other words, he can only communicate with the Alpha. Not a very pleasant setting for a conversation, I'm afraid. _

"What do…" 

_I mean? It's a little complicated, but in a sense, I am the fulfillment of Milgazea's powers as a Chaos Warrior. I am X, the Past. I come from the future into the past to guide you along the correct path in order to fulfill destiny. I know everything that has happened, and everything that will happen._

_For instance, I know that the child you're carrying is vitally important to the future. _

"My baby is…?" Amelia touched her stomach gently. "Does that mean I'll get out of here? That we'll be fine? If you're from the future, then we must defeat the Alpha…right?"

There was a moment of silence. _I'm afraid I can't answer those questions, X replied. __I'm forbidden from telling anyone in the past anything that doesn't directly have something to do with the current situation – and the current situation is freeing you and your baby from the Alpha. _

"What does he want with me, anyway?" 

X sighed. _Each of the Chaos Warriors possesses a core of power. As Zeta, the Heart, your power is one of the most vital. There is a legend inscribed on the __Temple__ of the Omega, one of the three Celestial Temples: When Darkness fails and Chaos rules, the Heart brings out the Final __Battle__. It sounds a lot better in the original language it was written in, granted, but that's the gist of it. In other words, your power is the key to unlocking the destruction of the Alpha._

"Me?" Amelia shivered slightly. "I don't know how you can come to that conclusion. I'm just a shrine maiden…"

_And a very powerful one. But I'm not talking about magical power, little princess. I'm talking about you, yourself. You will bring the Finale out of hiding. _

Something about the way he phrased that made Amelia think for a moment about what she had read. "The Finale…" Her eyes widened. "But that's…!" 

_Yes. The Finale. The Omega. _

"But I thought the Omega wasn't one of the traditional Chaos Warriors," Amelia said. "According to that book, the Omega hasn't existed!"

_That's where you're wrong. With each new generation of warriors, there has always been the Omega. But each time, he has remained dormant – because each generation has liked what is needed to awaken his power. The bond between Zeta and Omega is crucial, and very specific, and it has always been missing in the past, leaving the Alpha to return, again and again. _

"You mean _I_ have the power bring out the Omega?" Amelia whispered. She shivered at the implications. "But…who? Who is the Omega?" 

There was no answer. 

"X? Are you there?" 

_Be strong, Amelia. _

"What…?" 

Suddenly excruciating pain tore through her body, completely unexpected. Amelia screamed, and then there was only darkness. 

*****

Xellos sat on the bed, paging through the book. "There has to be some clue in here," he muttered. Valgaav was out patrolling the perimeter, while Lina and Zelgadis went through the castle trying to figure out how the Alpha had gotten in. Gourry and Zangulus were in the city itself searching for clues, and Sylphiel and Filia were trying to build up some stronger shields to protect the hideout. Xellos, meanwhile, was searching through the book as best as he could for information. "You'd figure there'd be _something in here about the Alpha's base," he complained. _

"How's it going?" 

He looked up and saw Filia in the doorway. He put the book down and sighed, running his hands through his short violet hair. "Not good," he said. "There's nothing in here about where the Alpha might be keeping Amelia." Xellos sighed, his shoulders slumping. 

Filia bit her lip. There had been few instances when she'd seen Xellos serious, although those had grown in the past months – it was part of the reason she'd eventually fallen for him, although she figured now that the attraction had always been there. But rarely had she seen him look discouraged. Closing the door behind her, she walked over and sat on the bed next to him, putting her arms around him. "Don't worry," she said. "We'll find her. You can't blame yourself."

"I should've done something to stop this," Xellos said, leaning against Filia. "What good is my power if I can't use it? What good is being the Kappa if I can't call on it at will?" 

"Xellos…" Filia sighed. "I know how you feel. I'm in the same situation. If only we knew _how_ we're supposed to seal away the Alpha…if only there were some way to destroy him, once and for all." 

Xellos nodded slightly. Then his eyes widened and he pulled away from Filia. "Destroy…" He grabbed the book and began paging through it. "Filia, what do you remember about the prophecy detailing the cycle of the Alpha and the Chaos Warriors? Did it say anything about destruction in there?"

Filia frowned and tried to recall the words of the ancient prophecy. "I think…most of it's pretty vague, but I seem to remember a point in the prophecy that talks about ending everything. I assumed that meant the Alpha's goal."

"Remember what you and I figured out?" Xellos asked. "Each line of the prophecy points to a warrior and their role in the actual sealing of the Alpha. But that last line, the line about ending everything – we ran out of warriors just before that point, because the one above it was Zeta." 

"Right," Filia said, nodding. "Zeta is the last Warrior." 

"That's what we thought," Xellos replied, stopping at a certain point in the book. "I thought there was something weird about this – there's an extra chapter in the section discussing the warriors." He pointed to the top of the page. "_And the fallen angel will descend from the sky and end it all._" 

"That's the prophecy line," Filia replied. "But…" 

"Look," Xellos said. "Look at these symbols. There's one for each warrior…and then one more." 

Filia's eyes widened. "You mean…" 

"Yes," Xellos said, an edge of excitement creeping into his voice. "There's a warrior that we all forgot about. One that's never appeared before. The destroyer of the Alpha. _The Omega!" _


	17. Search for Omega

**Slayers FUTURE: Fallen Angel**

**Chapter Seventeen: Search for Omega**

Filia stared at Xellos in amazement. "The Omega?" she repeated. "Do you really think it's possible?" 

"I don't know," Xellos said, standing up and pacing across the room. "But think about it, Filia. Our role in this prophecy is supposed to be to seal the Alpha away, but the Omega's destiny is to destroy the Alpha once and for all. _He's_ the warrior that we need to find, the one we need to unlock. If we have the Omega, we fulfill the prophecy, and the Alpha will never return." 

"Yes," Filia said slowly, "but how do we know that this is the Omega's time? What if he doesn't exist? That prophecy has been around for ages, Xellos…if it were accurate each time it appears, the Alpha would've been destroyed long ago. 

That stopped the violet-haired Mazoku for a minute, and he stood in the middle of the room, his hand on his chin as he thought carefully. Filia watched him for moment, then picked up the book, leafing through it. 

"You're right," Xellos said finally, sighing. "There are too many ways to interpret prophecy, and there's never any way of knowing exactly what it refers to until it happens. Even if we're one hundred percent certain that line refers to the Omega, we don't _which set of warriors it means." _

"Which puts us back as square one," Filia said dejectedly.

"Not necessarily," Xellos said, shaking his head slowly. "Your race and mine have been studying this prophecy and the comings and goings of the Alpha for decades. Some of our people are very knowledgeable about the subject." 

"You're suggesting asking the Dragons and the Mazoku for help?" Filia asked. She bit her lip. "Xellos, neither you nor I have made contact with them for months...going back now would just cause suspicion. If I went back to the Temple of the Fire Dragon King, the Supreme Elder would probably lock me up and throw away the key!" 

Xellos came over and sat next to her. "Which is why you aren't going to make contact," he replied. "_I am." _

Filia blinked at him. "What?"

"I'm going back to my mistress," Xellos replied. "There's one Mazoku who knows practically everything there is to know about the prophecy, and Zelas Metallium is the only one I can ask who can get me an audience with her. It'll take some persuading, but I'll manage it somehow." 

"Xellos…" 

"My mistress has given me pretty much full run of this situation," Xellos replied. "She hasn't expected regular reports, so I can return at any time and she won't be suspicious." He laughed slightly. "Besides, she might already know..." 

Filia looked alarmed at the thought of the Beastmaster knowing about her relationship with Xellos. 

"Relax, Fi-chan," Xellos said. "I'm her top general and priest. She can't do anything overly dangerous to me…it's the other Dark Lords that we have to shield our relationship from." 

"When will you be back?" Filia asked.

"As soon as I get the information I'm after," Xellos replied. "When that will be, I can't say for certain. But I'll be as quick as I can…we have a Seyruun princess to rescue, remember?"

Filia nodded. "I know," she said softly. "Do…Xellos, do you have to leave right away?" 

"It's best that I do," Xellos replied. 

She looked down at her hands in her lap, and bit her lip. "Be careful." 

Xellos nodded and stood up. He had to physically walk out of the base before he teleported, although he was planning on moving a little further – Zelas had been known to track his movements while he was teleporting, and he wasn't ready to reveal the location of Valgaav's stronghold. 

Suddenly there was the sound of rustling fabric, and then a pair of arms wrapped around him from behind. "Please don't leave," Filia whispered, pressing her face into his back. "Not yet. I know it's selfish, and I know we don't have much time…but please…we don't know what'll happen…don't leave me yet…" 

Xellos looked at the door in front of him. He knew that the best thing for him to do was go right now, and as a Mazoku, he shouldn't have any trouble – but something had changed in him when he'd fallen for the young, somewhat naive Golden Dragon that was now holding him. He couldn't walk away as easily. 

He brought up his hands and covered Filia's with them, then turned around and slipped his arms around her, drawing her close to him as he leaned down and pressed his mouth against hers, violet hair mixing with gold. He felt something damp on his cheek, and realized it was a tear – but whether it came from him, or from her, he couldn't say. 

They stood like that, arms wrapped around each other, lips pressed together, eyes closed. For how long, neither of them could say. When they finally did pull apart, it was only for an inch, just enough so that Filia could look up at him, ocean blue eyes on amethyst. 

"Please," she whispered softly, their mouths so close they were practically sharing the same breath. "At least…wait until morning…" 

Xellos gently brushed her hair away from her eyes, letting the long strands fall gently back to where they'd been. "Fi-chan…" 

"Please, Xel," Filia begged. "I'll let you go, then…but I'm not ready to, not yet. Please, stay the night…" 

"When you wake up, I won't be here…" 

"I know," Filia said. "And I'll fall asleep knowing that. I'm just asking for you to stay the night." 

Xellos looked down at her, and then nodded slowly. "It'd be rude to demand Lord Beastmaster a favor in the middle of the night, anyway," he murmured, leaning down to kiss her again. 

Filia threw her arms around his neck, kissing him back soundly. 

Then Xellos bent down slightly and picked her up, carrying her over to the bed. 

*****

As the sun began to peer over the horizon, Xellos opened his eyes, staring up at the ceiling as he lay in bed. Filia slept soundly next to him, her head on his bare chest, the blankets wrapped around her. The very tip of her tail poked out from underneath them on one side, and she looked almost angelic as she slept.

Xellos gently stroked her hair, looking down at her with a small smile on his face. Then, moving slowly so as not to wake up, he slipped out from underneath her and stood up. He replaced the covers over her so that she wouldn't get cold, and moved to where his clothes had been piled up the night before. Pulling them on, he ran his fingers through his hair and reached for his staff. 

He paused at the doorway, then went back to the bed and kissed Filia lightly. She stirred slightly, and he paused, watching to make sure she didn't wake up. When she made no further movement, he slipped silently from the room and headed for the castle exit. 

"Going somewhere?" Xellos jumped, startled. Standing near the main doors was Zelgadis, leaning casually against the closed door. 

"What do you want?" Xellos asked. He and the chimera had called a truce when this whole mess had started, but that was usually effective only if they weren't in the same room as each other. All this time, and they _still_ grated on each others' nerves. 

"You're planning on taking off, aren't you?" Zelgadis asked. 

"I'm leaving, yes, but I'm not abandoning this," Xellos said defensively. 

Zelgadis raised an eyebrow. 

"Are you going to move?" Xellos couldn't teleport out while in the castle, and Zelgadis was blocking the only exit. 

"I'm going with you," Zelgadis said. 

If Zelgadis had said he was going to dress like a woman again and do the can-can on the roof, Xellos would've been less surprised than he was with that statement. "Ex_cuse_ me?"

"You heard me," Zelgadis replied. 

"You don't even know where I'm going." 

"It has something to do with the Prophecy," Zelgadis replied. "You may have known about it the longest, but Lina and I have collected the most information. She's needed here to help find Amelia, so I can be of some use to you. Besides, we're not supposed to travel alone." 

Xellos snorted. "Trust me, where I'm going, I won't need to worry about the Alpha coming after me."

"Arrogance like that will get you nothing but trouble." 

"You're one to talk," Xellos shot back. "Look what your arrogance got you – a skin that you have to worry about chipping instead of bruising." 

Zelgadis' eyes flashed, and his face flushed angrily. For a moment Xellos considered taking back his words. But he was sick of the chimera's high-and-mighty attitude. 

Then, to his surprise, Zelgadis sighed. "You're right," he said quietly. "But I was young. I didn't know better. I'm not going to make excuses for myself, but what's done is done, and now I'm living with my choice." He looked at him. "Don't get me wrong, I haven't given up entirely on a cure – I'm just starting to realize that there are more important things." 

"Lina finally drove that into your skull?" Xellos commented, raising an eyebrow. 

"She's had a big part in it, yes," Zelgadis replied. "But I made the decision on my own." He folded his arms over his chest. "Look, I know you and I don't get along – I'm not asking us to be best friends. But I am asking you to trust me." 

Xellos looked at the chimera for a long moment...then rolled his eyes. "Oh, whatever. Just stay out of my way." 

Zelgadis smirked, stepped aside, and followed the Mazoku out of the castle. 


	18. Morning Letter

**Slayers FUTURE: Fallen Angel**

**Chapter Eighteen: Morning Letter**

Lina woke up the next morning and stretched, sitting up in the large bed in the room she'd claimed as her own at Valgaav's castle. She looked out the window, where the morning light was just beginning to stream in through the heavy curtains, and for a moment, smiled. 

Then the smile faded as she looked around the room. 

Her eyes landed on a piece of paper, lying on the nightstand next to the bed. Holding the blankets against her, she reached over and picked it up, unfolding it and reading the scripted words. 

_Lina - _

_     I know this isn't the best time for me to be taking off, but I feel like I don't have a choice. I overheard Xellos telling Filia that he was going to go speak to the Mazoku lords about getting more information on the Alpha in hopes of finding something to help Amelia, and I've decided that I'm going to give him some back up. I myself have a few ties in the Mazoku court that may come in handy. _

_     I'm sorry I didn't talk to you about this before I left, but by the time I made my decision, you were already asleep. Please, don't worry about me. Focus on Amelia - use the information we've gathered to help her. I left all of the artifacts we took from the __Temple__ of __Chaos__, and there might be something there that gives a clue. We have to get Amelia away from the Alpha. I'm worried about what he'll do to her, and to the baby. _

_     If you feel like you have to Fireball me when I get back, I understand. I'm not sure how long Xellos and I will be gone, but I swear I'll be back as soon as I can, and hopefully with information that will aid our cause. _

_     If you feel the absolute need to worry about me, remember that we can sense each other through our crystals. I'm still with you, in spirit if not in person. _

_     Yours, _

_               Zelgadis _

Lina stared down at the parchment for a moment, rereading the handwriting on the paper carefully, the make sure she hadn't misunderstood. Oddly enough, she wasn't angry. Dealing with the Mazoku was never a pleasant thing, and given what had been going on lately, she wasn't surprised that he'd decided to give Xellos a hand. True, working with _Xellos_ was a surprise - she, like everyone else, was aware of their distrust of each other - but she could understand. 

She just wished he hadn't taken off like that, without any warning. 

"He'll be fine," she said softly, looking down at the paper. "He will. He always is." 

But if he thought she wasn't going to worry, he was as crazy as his grandfather before him. And Rezo the Red Priest had _definitely_ been off his rocker, even with his extenuating circumstances. 

After last night, of _course_ she was going to worry. Holding the piece of paper with Zelgadis' letter on it, her thoughts drifted back to the night before.

*****

Lina sat in her room, quietly paging through a leather-bound spell book. She'd been looking through it for awhile, but unfortunately still hadn't found anything that seemed useful enough to either fight to Alpha or rescue Amelia. 

What good was being able to master almost any spell in the known world if you couldn't find the right one to use? 

She looked over at the crystal orb lying on her nightstand, the symbol _Rho_ ablaze in the center of it. "You're supposed to give me insight in these things," she groused. "Give me something already! I can't figure this out on my own!" 

"Talking to the crystal again, Lina?" an amused voice asked from the doorway. 

Lina let out a squeak and looked up from her place on the bed, meeting the equally-amused eyes of Zelgadis Greywords. "What's the big idea, sneaking up on me?" she asked, trying to hide her embarrassment. 

Zelgadis raised his eyebrows. "I wasn't sneaking up on you. I knocked. The door was unlocked. I guess you were just too involved with the crystal to hear me." 

Lina closed the spell book and casually flipped him off, knowing Zelgadis wouldn't take it personally. "Shut up," she said. "If you're going to come in, come in and close the door. It's could out there, and I just managed to get this place heated up. Good thing Valgaav dropped his anti-magic shields, at least inside the castle." 

Zelgadis nodded, slipping into the room and closing the door lightly behind him. "Looking through the book?" he asked. "Find anything?" 

Lina shook her head. "I don't know how any other _Rho_ could've used this thing to fight the Sorceress - none of these spells look like they're the least bit useful. The Dragon Slave and the Ragna Blade are _still_ ten times stronger than the strongest spell in there." 

"Well, if the records we found are any indication, of course they would be," Zelgadis replied. "The last Alpha rising was before the Dragon Slave was created, and before the Ragna Blade became known. You probably know quite a few spells that aren't in that book." 

"Then what good is it?" Lina muttered, getting up and walking to the floor-to-ceiling window against one wall and looking out. The sun had already set, and the full moon cast a silvery light over the ruins of Raenos that were spread out below the castle. Sighing, she wrapped her arms around herself and looked at him. "How's Valgaav?"

"A wreck," Zelgadis replied. "He won't let Gravos or Jilas near him - I was lucky to get into his room for as long as I did. I think the only reason he let me in is because his barrier spell doesn't work on me, and he knew I could break the locks on the door if I wanted to." He smiled slightly. "There are some benefits to being a chimera." 

Lina turned to look at him. "Did he say anything?" 

"Not really," Zelgadis said, shaking his head and moving to stands next to her. "He mostly paced, muttered under his breath, and threw a few things. When I left, he was curled up in his chair, staring at the fire in his fireplace. I've never seen him like that before." 

"None of us have," Lina replied. "When you get right down to it, we really don't know Valgaav that well. True, he was trying to kill us - but outside of that, we know next to nothing about him." 

Zelgadis looked at her. 

"We know that he's half-Ryuzoku, half-Mazoku," Lina continued, "and that he was Gaav's general. We know that much of his Mazoku power was inherited from Gaav when Gaav died. And we know that the rest of the Mazoku race wants him dead. Other than that, we know nothing about his origins, nothing about his personality except that when he gets a grudge he really gets a grudge, and nothing about his abilities." She looked thoughtful. "I've been thinking that the Alpha took Amelia because she's a Chaos Warrior, but now I'm starting to wonder."

"Wonder?" Zelgadis asked inquisitively. 

Lina nodded. "What if the Alpha was after Valgaav instead? Valgaav said he'd attacked the castle before, trying to get at him.oh, I don't know." She shook her head, shoulder-length red waves flying around her head. "I'm so confused. One minute I think I know what's going on, and the next minute I don't even have a clue. You know what I mean?" She turned to look at him..and her breath caught in her throat. 

Zelgadis was standing directly in a stream of moonlight coming through the window, and the effect of the light reflecting off of his metallic hair, shadowing part of his face and illuminating the other part, was stunning. That, combined with the black sleeveless tunic and pants he was wearing - very different from his normal ensemble - had the effect of momentarily striking her speechless. 

"Lina? Lina?" 

She blinked, and shook her head slightly. "I'm sorry, what?" she asked, feeling a little embarrassed. "I missed what you said." 

Zelgadis raised an eyebrow. "I said that the same thoughts have crossed my mind," he repeated himself. "Are you okay? You don't normally tune out like that." 

"I'm fine," Lina said. "Is that a new outfit?" she blurted out without thinking. 

Now the other eyebrow went up, and Zelgadis nodded. "I bought it while we were traveling. My other one isn't the best think for traveling in hot climates, as I discovered the last time we were in a desert. And you're blushing." 

"Yeah, I guess you're right - your other outfit does seem kinda stifling.I am not!" Lina protested, Zelgadis' last comment suddenly clicking in her mind. "I do not blush!" 

As her red cheeks pointed towards the opposite, Zelgadis couldn't help but chuckle at the expression on her face. 

"Why you.stop laughing!" Lina fumed, glaring at him. "Stop it! Don't laugh!" 

"S-sorry," Zelgadis said, laughing harder at her reaction. He wrapped his arms around himself and doubled over slightly. "B-but I can't s-stop." 

"That's because you almost never laugh," Lina said, fuming slightly. 

Zelgadis took a few deep breaths, and straightened up slightly. "Gomen," he said, trying to sound as apologetic as possible.before he caught a glimpse of Lina's bright red face that went so well with her hair, and started laughing again. He just couldn't help it. 

Then a pair of arms were around his neck as Lina attempted to get him into a headlock. "Why you.I think I liked the stoic Zel better!" she growled. 

"You're the one who said I should laugh more often," Zel countered, ducking out of her arms and turning, taking a step back. 

"I lied!" Lina brought her hands together and began muttering a spell under her breath. 

"Oh, no, you don't." Zelgadis reached out and grabbed her hands, pulling them apart so that she couldn't finish casting a Fireball. "Besides, it won't work on me, remember? Stone skin and all? All you'll do is fry your room." 

"But it'll make me feel better!" Lina protested, struggling against his grip. Suddenly she caught her foot on the corner of the rug and stumbled forward, knocking into Zelgadis and causing the chimera to stumble backwards. The backs of his legs hit the edge of the bed, and he fell onto it, Lina collapsing on top of him with a soft 'oof'. 

They lay there for a moment, a little winded from their scuffle. Then Lina pushed herself up on her arms, rising off of his chest. She found that she couldn't get off of him, though, as their legs had gotten tangled together. "Lemme up." 

"I'm not keeping you down," Zelgadis replied. He put his hands on her arms and shifted, trying to untangle their legs. At the same time, Lina moved one of her legs, and ended up straddling him. She let out a squeak as she grabbed his shoulders to keep from sliding forward. 

Zelgadis and Lina looked at each other, both of them blushing brightly, neither of them suddenly unsure of what to say to each other. 

"Lina?" Zelgadis asked after a moment. 

"G-gomen," Lina stammered. She took her hands off of his shoulders and moved to push herself off of him, for real this time.only to stop again. "Zel? Can you let go of my arms?" 

Zelgadis looked up at her.then sat up, cerulean eyes locked on hers. 

Lina's breath caught in her throat. "Zelgadis.?" 

Whatever she was about to say next was cut off as Zelgadis let go of one arm and cupped her chin. Her eyes widened slightly as he leaned forward, and then she felt his lips brush against hers. 

The first kiss was soft, tentative, as they cautiously experimented, to see how far the other would let this go before one of them stopped them, pulled back, and laughed it off as a joke. But one kiss turned into two, two into four, and then Zelgadis' arms were around her waist and drawing her down to the bed again, hands running over her back as their kisses deepened. It was unexpected, but not at all unwanted. 

"Zel." Lina whispered, opening her eyes ever so slightly to look at him. 

"Shhh," he murmured, tangling his fingers into her hair as he leaned in to kiss her again. What had been building for quite some time now had finally rushed to the surface, and neither of them were going to back down now. They moved slowly, exploring, relishing each other as hands and lips trailed over skin, clothing rustled, and all the while the light in the room grew dim as the sun set completely. 

Despite the sensations his hands were causing her, when he rolled them over so that he was over her, she was coherent to stop him for a moment, breaking their kiss and covering his mouth with her hand. "Zel," she said softly. "I.you should know." 

Zelgadis looked at her, concerned. "Know what, Lina?" he asked when her hand fell from his mouth. He could see a slight fear in her eyes. 

Lina felt her face flush as she looked at him. "I.I've never done.this before," she whispered. 

Zelgadis' eyes widened slightly. "You mean.not even with.Gourry?" 

Her blush deepened, and she shook her head. "It never felt right.we didn't last long enough for me to feel comfortable taking that step." 

"Are you sure you want to do this, Lina?" Zelgadis asked softly. He didn't want to push her if she wasn't ready, no matter how much he wanted this, and no matter how long he'd hoped for this chance. 

Lina nodded, her eyes meeting his. "I'm sure," she replied. "With you.this feels _right_, Zelgadis. I'm not afraid, just." 

"Be gentle?" he murmured, touching his forehead to hers. 

"Hai," she whispered, accepting his kiss willingly, wrapping her arms around him. 

And there was no turning back. They had crossed a threshold that could never be taken back, and neither of them had any intention of doing so. The months of stolen kisses, longing glances, and restless dreams came together as they did, clinging to each other as they lost themselves in the feel of the other, until their voices and thoughts left them completely and it felt as if their very souls were uniting as one. 

Hours after they had begun, Lina lay against Zelgadis, her head resting on his chest, her arms wrapped around his waist, her eyes half closed as her breathing slowed to its normal rate. She tilted her head slightly to look at him. His eyes were closed, and it was hard to tell if he was asleep or awake. They'd laid in companionable silence, sharing a few kisses, until both of them felt sleep coming to claim them. It seemed he'd succumbed sooner than she had. 

She smiled, and closed her eyes, snuggling against him. "Aishiteru," she murmured, kissing his chest lightly before she allowed sleep to take over. 

And just before she felt herself drift off completely, she faintly heard a soft baritone reply. 

"Aishiteru, Lina." 

*****

Just thinking about it made Lina wish that he were there, with her. He must not have wanted to wake her up, or maybe he thought it'd be easier to leave if he just let her sleep. 

There was no sense in pondering any of that right then. She knew he'd be back - he wouldn't have left a note if he wasn't planning on returning. Until then, she had to deal with it, and focus on what was at hand. He was right - getting Amelia back was their first priority. 

With that in mind, she stood up, gathering up her clothes and getting dressed. The first thing to do was gather everyone together to discuss what was going on. Even Valgaav. She'd drag him from his room if she had to, but he was going to be there one way or another. Even if he wasn't a Chaos Warrior, he was certainly involved in this. 

She paused next to her nightstand, then picked up Zelgadis' note and her crystal orb. Folding the note neatly, she slipped it into her pocket, and tucked the orb in along with it. Then, taking a deep breath, she turned and walked out of her room. 

No sooner had she done so than the sound of a huge explosion echoed through the castle from the outside, and she threw herself forward automatically, covering her head to protect herself from the glass shards as the windows behind her shattered into millions of pieces. 

*****

Author's Notes: Ahem. Well, what a way to return to a story, ne? Yes, I am alive. Unfortunately, this means that I've had about a hundred things that needed to be done in the last months, which accounts for why it's taken me so long to update. Don't worry, I promise it won't take as long again - I won't leave you hanging, especially not with a cliffhanger like that. Until next time, ja ne and don't forget to review! ~ Aynslesa Morro Wolf


	19. Fate, Set in Motion

**Slayers FUTURE**

**Fallen Angel**

**Chapter Nineteen: Fate, Set in Motion**

Lina coughed as she picked herself up a few minutes later, covering her mouth with her hand to block out the dust settling around her. "What the…hell…was that?" she managed between coughing fits. She turned to look back into her room, and her eyes widened as she took in the gaping whole that had once been her wall. 

"Lina!" 

Gourry came running up next to her, hand on his sword and blonde hair flying behind him as he came to a stop. He stared at the hole, wide-eyed. "What did that?" he asked, amazed. 

"I don't know," Lina said. "Some sort of explosion…we better find the others, make sure they're okay." 

Gourry nodded, and the two of them hurried back the way he'd come. 

"Gourry-chan! Lina-san!" Both of them looked up as Sylphiel came hurrying over to them. She threw her arms around Gourry and hugged him, then turned to Lina. "Did you hear that explosion?" she asked.

Lina nodded. "More to the point, I felt it. The entire wall of my room is gone. Do you know what it was?" 

"The library," Sylphiel said. "It's gone. Completely destroyed." She seemed to be more than a little shaken up. "I saw it from my window." 

Lina's eyes widened. The library was in its own wing of the castle, and the way the castle was structured, Lina's room was on the opposite side of the courtyard from it, directly across. No wonder she'd lost one of her walls, if the explosion was as large as it had sounded. "Completely?" she asked.

Sylphiel nodded, as Gourry slid his arm around her shoulders. "There's nothing but a gaping hole where it stood," she replied. "Filia-san and Zangulus-san went to go see the damage, and Jilas and Gravos went to check on Valgaav." 

Lina nodded, and looked at Gourry. "Gourry, you and Sylphiel go to the library and see if you can give Filia and Zangulus a hand." 

"What are you going to do?" Gourry asked. "Find Xellos and Zelgadis?" 

Lina shook her head. "Those two went on an errand," she said, keeping her voice as neutral as possible. "They won't be back for awhile. No, I'm going to Valgaav's chambers. He might know something about this." 

Gourry looked at her, then nodded slowly. "I understand," he said. He looked at Sylphiel. "Come on." 

Lina breathed a sigh of relief as Gourry and Sylphiel took off. She was relieved that Gourry seemed to have dropped his clueless persona, at least for the time being. 

Then she turned and hurried towards Valgaav's chambers. 

*****

_CRASH!_

"Ow, fuck!" 

"Get off of me, Xellos." 

"I will…as soon as I can move." A few minutes later, a considerable amount of weight lifted off of Zelgadis' back, and the chimera was finally able to breathe again. 

"You need to go on a diet," Zelgadis said sourly. 

Xellos brushed imaginary dirt off of his pants. "You're heavier than I am, Stone Boy," he said. "And you don't make a nice landing cushion." 

"Seeing as how that is _not_ my goal in life, I really don't care," Zelgadis said. "What was with that landing?" 

The violet-haired Mazoku sighed. "My transportation has been a little off lately," he said. "My landings haven't been quite as smooth as they could be." 

"That's an understatement," Zelgadis muttered. He'd landed so hard…and then Xellos has landed on _top_ of him…that he could feel the beginnings of bruising. "Where are we, anyway?" 

The two of them stood in the middle of a long, dark hallway. Sinister-looking statues lined the walls, their ruby-red crystal eyes seemingly following them as they walked. A cold breeze wafted through the dark corridor, and off in the distance, a wolf howled, the mournful cry echoing. 

Zelgadis shuddered. 

"Welcome to Wolf Pack Island," Xellos muttered, stepping up next to him. "Regret coming with me?" 

"Regret coming with you to the base of one of the most feared Mazoku in history, who also happens to be a Mazoku Lord?" Zelgadis asked. "I'll think of it as a challenge. I like challenges." 

"I'm sure you do," Xellos replied. "You might not like _this_ one, though. My mistress has a tendency to be a little…dramatic. If I'm lucky, I'll just get a scolding and maybe a fireball. If I'm not…" 

"I thought you told me she wasn't going to do anything to you," Zelgadis said. "Even though you haven't checked in." 

"Well, yes, she won't get upset over _that_," Xellos said. "But there's the whole disobeying orders by joining up with the rest of you thing…she specifically told me not to get involved in the Amelia/Valgaav situation." He looked positively uneasy at the thought of what Zelas Metallium could do to him if she got mad enough. 

"If she wants to stop the Alpha, she can't be too hard on you," Zelgadis replied. "Or me, for that matter…" 

Xellos snorted. "Act first, ask questions when they're dead," he said. "That's the way of Metallium." 

"Is that why Lina doesn't let you do negotiations?" Zelgadis muttered. "At least you have the entire walk to wherever she is to figure out –"

The scenery around them suddenly changed from a dark, cold hallway to a large, spacious throne room. And sitting on the throne was a tall, blonde, scantily-dressed woman with a tan and a cigarette in one hand. Her blue eyes were locked on Xellos.  

"—what to say," Zelgadis said weakly. 

"Welcome home, Xellos," Zelas said dryly, setting her cigarette down and ignoring Zelgadis completely. "I was wondering when you'd see fit to return and explain yourself to me." 

Zelgadis looked over at Xellos, and was surprised to see the formerly wary Mazoku suddenly perfectly calm. "Extenuating circumstances, mistress," he said.

"I'm sure," Zelas said dryly, sitting up to turn towards her general priest. "And you'll explain them to me, right now." 

Xellos bowed his head slightly. "With all due respect, mistress, I don't think anything I have to say could be of any use to you…" 

_Bad move, Xellos, I don't think you're going to bluff your way out of this,_ Zelgadis thought grimly, seeing the expression on Zelas' face go from stormy to monsoon. 

"Am I or am I not your mistress?" Zelas asked icily, stopping Xellos in mid-sentence. "You will explain yourself, and you will do it now. Be thankful I haven't fried you to a crisp for trying to avoid me." 

Xellos swallowed hard. "Where would you like me to begin, mistress?" he asked cautiously. 

Zelas smiled. "That's better," she said, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "Why don't you start with any information you've gathered on the Alpha, as well as the Chaos Warriors?" 

Zelgadis glanced at Xellos, masking his confusion. From everything Xellos had said, he'd been expecting Zelas Metallium to already be aware of what had been going on – it was next to impossible for a Mazoku to hide anything of their doings from the Lord that they served. What was the Beastmaster playing at? 

"Of course, mistress," Xellos said, nodding slightly. "In the last several months I have been able to identify the majority of the Chaos Warriors. As you may have suspected, they appeared in the forms of Lina Inverse and several of her allies that she has traveled with over the course of the last three years." 

"Including the chimera standing beside you," Zelas replied, and for the first time she turned her attention to Zelgadis. "Never did I think I would find _you_ within my walls, Zelgadis Graywords – or is it Qoph?" 

Zelgadis blinked, and nodded slowly. "That is my designation within the Chaos Warriors, yes, Lady Metallium." 

"So charming, too," Zelas said, smiling at him. "I suspected as much, given the qualifications for Qoph, the Chimera." Then she turned her attention back to Xellos, and Zelgadis was left with a disconcerting feeling that he'd just been…accepted. It was a puzzling sensation, but one that he pushed away for the time being as Zelas began to speak again. "So you have identified the majority of the Chaos Warriors. What of the Alpha?" 

"The Alpha has appeared in several forms, his most recent being that of a Golden Dragon," Xellos replied. "As of this moment, we are unaware of his whereabouts." 

Zelas nodded slightly. "Yes, it was quite a shock to discover that he had managed to possess the body of the guardian of the Claire Bible…as well as another Chaos Warrior." 

Xellos and Zelgadis stared at her. Aside from identifying Lina and Zelgadis by name, no one had mentioned the identity of the other Chaos Warriors…and most certainly not Milgazea. "You already know all of this," Xellos said weakly. 

Zelas threw back her head and laughed. "Of course!" she said, smiling. "Though I must say, it was quite amusing to watch you try and sort out what to tell me and what to try and hide. I'm quite impressed, Xellos…you managed to inform me of what I wanted without telling me too much information." 

Xellos didn't know if he should feel good about that – or if he should be afraid for his life. 

Then Zelas' expression was hard again, and she looked at Xellos, her eyes narrowed. "Nevertheless…keeping the fact that _you_ are one of the Chaos Warriors from me what not a good idea. Nor was shielding your activities." 

Xellos' eyes widened slightly, and he looked at Zelas. "With all due respect, Mistress, Amelia is also one of the Chaos Warriors…per your instruction, I couldn't have stayed out of it if I was to identify her!" 

Zelas raised her eyebrow. "Actually, I wasn't speaking about that – though I'm not completely pleased that you disobeyed my orders on that account, either." Her blue eyes locked on Xellos' violet. "I was referring to your relationship with the Dragon priestess you've been traveling with." 

Zelgadis looked at Xellos, and saw that the Mazoku had gone completely white. 

"If you're wondering if the other Lords know…the answer is no," Zelas replied. "I only know because I know_ everything_ about my followers. And I have no intention of telling them. All I will say on this subject is that you choose your actions wisely, Xellos – Dynast and the others will not be as willing to look the other way if they catch wind of this." 

Xellos looked at Zelas, amazed. "You…don't mind?" 

"Of course I _mind_," Zelas said, rolling her eyes. "The idea of mixing Dragon blood and Mazoku blood…ugh. But given the circumstances, I will merely pretend that it doesn't exist, and that I know nothing about it." 

Xellos looked a little troubled at that statement, but he didn't say anything else.

"Xellos," Zelgadis hissed, keeping his voice low. "We don't have enough time for you two to be chatting." 

"Indeed," Zelas replied, reminding them that they were in her domain, and anything they said she heard easily. "Now. I know you didn't return just to give me a status report on the situation. You want something, Xellos." 

Xellos gripped his staff a little, thinking for a moment on how to phrase his words. "True," he said, nodding slowly. "Recent developments have pointed to some startling facts – but between all of us, we do not have enough information to draw any conclusions. The information we've gathered on our own has not been enough." 

Zelas looked at him quietly, waiting. 

Xellos took a deep breath and plunged ahead. "There is one Mazoku who knows more about the Prophecy and the Alpha than any of us, Mistress. Zelgadis and I have come here to you to ask that you aid us in getting an audience with her. I do not make this request lightly." 

"I should hope not," Zelas said quietly. "She has granted no one an audience since the War of the Monster's Fall. What makes you think she will agree to speak with you?" 

Xellos looked at her. "I don't," he said. "But we have no choice but to try." 

Zelas and Xellos locked eyes, and Zelgadis had the unnerving feeling that they were communicating through means other than words. 

"Very well," Zelas said after a moment. "I will grant your request, and speak with her. Wait here." She stood up, blowing out her cigarette and standing up before vanishing into thin air.

Zelgadis looked after her, then turned to Xellos. "That wasn't quite how I imagined the Beastmaster to be." 

Xellos shook his head. "She was in a better mood than normal," he said quietly. "It…unnerves me." 

"You never told me who it is we're trying to get an audience with," Zelgadis said. "Who is she?" 

Xellos was quiet. 

"Xellos?" 

Xellos sighed, then opened his mouth…and suddenly, the walls of Zelas' throne room melted away, and they found themselves standing in the middle of a new hallway. Both of their eyes widened as they took in their new surroundings. All around them, water flowed, filled with fish and all sorts of other sea life. Only powerful shields kept the water from filling the hallway they were standing in, making the ocean seem like it was arching over their heads, and that at any moment, it could come crashing down on them. 

Down the end of the hall was a pair of large, ornately carved doors, figures of mythological sea beings carved into the stone. A very detailed dolphin sculpture was imbedded above the doorway, looking as though it were diving out of the limestone. 

"Where…?" Zelgadis started to speak, when the doors opened, and Zelas stepped out, looking very much out of place in the bright, ornate setting. 

She looked at them both. "Come," she said. "Deep Sea Dolphin doesn't wait forever." 

*****

Valgaav stared at the wreckage that had once been his library silently, his cloak billowing in the soft breeze that wafted through the now exposed room. All of the outside walls of the room had crumbled – the only wall left standing was the one attached directly to the building. All of the furnishings within the walls of the library – the shelves, the chairs, the tables, and the books themselves – were in ruins. The books were little more than ashes.

"Have you figured out what caused this?" he heard Lina asked Filia and Zangulus. 

"It seems to be a concentrated magical attack," Filia said. "That's the only plausible explanation I can come up with for why the entire library was destroyed, but the building attached to it was left completely unscathed." 

"My room wasn't," Lina pointed out. 

"Probably due to the shockwave from the explosion – not a direct cause from the attack itself," Zangulus replied. "The same thing happens when I release the power of my sword." 

Sylphiel bit her lip and looked around the ruins, then looked at Gourry, who was standing next to her, completely silent. "Who could have done this?" she asked. 

"Do you need to ask?" 

Everyone paused and turned to look at Valgaav. The Ancient Dragon Mazoku didn't look at any of them – his gaze seemed to be locked on something that none of them could see. 

"This is the Alpha's work," Valgaav said quietly. "He's mocking us, trying to bait us into action. The library was Amelia's favorite part of the castle. Somehow, he was able to breach my defenses and launch a full magic attack on this one room alone." 

Lina turned to Valgaav, folding her arms over her chest and looking thoughtful. "So his target wasn't Amelia alone…" 

"His target is all of the Chaos Warriors," Valgaav replied. "And, for some inexplicable reason, he's decided to try and goad me into the battle as well." 

Gourry frowned. "Why? What could he want with you?" 

"That is the million dollar question, isn't it," Valgaav muttered. He raised his head and looked up at the sky. "Very well, then, Alpha. Challenge accepted." 

A chill ran down Lina's spine, and when she looked over, she noticed Gourry looking at her. He looked a little spooked. 

Something had just happened. Something important. 

_Xellos, Zelgadis, _Lina thought, hugging herself tightly, _hurry back soon. _

*****

In a distant temple, L-sama looked up from her mirror at a line of crystals decorating one wall. All but the last were lit up – but as she watched, a soft glow began to appear in the center of the final, slowly growing strong. 

_It's almost time. _

*****

Author's Note: I think I'm just going to quit promising that I'll have the new chapter out in less time then it took me to do the previous one. Considering the fact that this took two months longer than I intended…I apologize for the wait. College and work caught up with me, and in my attempt to maintain a social life – and my sanity – fanfiction went on the back burner for a bit. Fortunately, the semester is almost over…pray that I'll have more time once finals are done. 

For now, I present you with Chapter Nineteen of Slayers FUTURE, and a few dropped hints about further plans. The identity of the Omega will be revealed within in the next few chapters, most likely – and expect more from Amelia in the next chapter, as well. Thank you all for reviewing – I welcome all comments and suggestions. So please continue to review, and I'll see you next time!

~Aynslesa Morro Wolf


	20. Unexpected Visitors

**Slayers FUTURE: Fallen Angel**

**Chapter Twenty: Unexpected Visitors**

"Come. Deep Sea Dolphin doesn't like to wait forever." And with that, Zelas turned on her heel and walked back into the throne room.

Zelgadis glanced at Xellos, and found that the violet-eyed Mazoku was looking at him as well. Zelgadis raised an eyebrow, and Xellos nodded, the silent communication between the two of them clear as they turned back towards the door, Zelgadis' hand going to the hilt of his sword, Xellos' gripping his staff tighter. Together, they entered the throne room.

Compared to Zelas' main hall, Deep Sea Dolphin's was almost paradise. Blue and green stones lined the massive room, and hanging from the cathedral ceiling were massive sculptures of various sea creatures. Pristine white walls glimmered some from unseen light source, and atop a massive column of coral stood a golden throne. Sitting in the throne was a young woman with long blue hair, dressed in a flowing green and blue silk gown…and holding a fishing pole in her hand. She was apparently trying to fish from a bucket that hovering in the air in front of her.

Zelgadis' grip relaxed on his sword, and he raised his eyebrow again, looking at Xellos.

"I told you she has a few screws loose," Xellos muttered under his breath, but fell silent when Zelas shot him a warning look.

When Zelgadis and Xellos both fell silent, Zelas approached the coral and gold throne, looking up at Deep Sea Dolphin. "Xellos Metallium and Zelgadis Greywords have arrived, Deep Sea Dolphin."

Dolphin didn't take her eyes off of the bucket, which Zelgadis had a feeling contained no fish. "Step forward," she said quietly, her voice not unlike the sound of water trickling through a stream.

Zelgadis and Xellos did so, Xellos going to one knee and bowing his head in respect. "Lady Dolphin, Xellos Metallium lays his staff before you in respect." As he spoke, he turned his staff horizontal, and set it on the ground before the throne.

"Offer accepted, Xellos Metallium," Dolphin replied. "And does the Chimera lay anything before me?"

Zelgadis blinked, looking at Xellos. He was supposed to bring some sort of offer?

It wasn't Xellos, who still had his had bowed, but rather Zelas who gave him the clue. She looked pointedly at his sword, then Xellos' staff, and then at another sword that was lying on the ground – apparently Zelas' weapon.

Oh.

Zelgadis removed his sword from its sheath, and stepped forward, holding it as Xellos had held his staff and laying it before Dolphin. "Zelgadis Greywords lays his sword before you in respect," he said.

Dolphin's eyes still remained on her fishing. "Offer accepted, Zelgadis Greywords."

Xellos slowly got to his feet, his staff still lying on the ground. "Lady Dolphin," he said, "Zelgadis and I have come seeking answers. We need to know all that you know…about the Omega."

Zelgadis looked at Xellos, startled. He hadn't known exactly what Xellos had wanted to speak with Deep Sea Dolphin about – he knew it was the Prophecy, but he'd assumed it had something to do with the Alpha, or Amelia. But the Omega? Little was known about the Omega. The Temples that Zelgadis and Lina had gathered information from had all mentioned a Temple of the Omega, but the location had remained unknown even to the previous Chaos Warriors. The Omega was a mystery – little more than a legend.

Deep Sea Dolphin didn't say anything for a moment, her eyes focused on her fishing. "There don't seem to be many fish in the waters today," she murmured, mostly to herself.

Zelgadis looked at Xellos, raising an eyebrow, but the Mazoku priest didn't look in his direction. His gaze was still focused on Deep Sea Dolphin, and he seemed completely unfazed by her random comment. _I don't think we're going to get anything from her,_ Zelgadis thought. _She's too far gone…_

"The Omega is closer than you think."

Zelgadis blinked, and looked at Dolphin. She was still staring at the bucket, but her gaze seemed a little clearer, a little more focused and less spaced out than she had been.

"What do you mean?" Xellos asked. "There _is_ an Omega? Who is he?"

"You already know him," Dolphin replied. "You do not need me to tell you his name."

Xellos frowned. "The Omega has never appeared before."

"No," Dolphin replied. "The Omega has always appeared. It is the power that has never awakened."

"How do we awaken that power?" Xellos asked.

"You don't," Dolphin said. "You do not have the ability to awaken Omega's power – you are Kappa. The chimera is Qoph. Neither of you have the ability to awaken Omega's power."

"Can you be any more vague?" Zelgadis heard Zelas mutter under her breath, but if Dolphin heard her, she chose not to react to it.

"Who can awaken the power, then?" Xellos asked.

"Only the one closest to Omega can awaken his power."

Xellos was silent for a few minutes, and Zelgadis waited for him to ask his next question. Xellos looked slightly troubled for a moment before he spoke again. "Can the Omega defeat the Alpha without his full power being awakened?"

Deep Sea Dolphin didn't say anything for a moment. Then she said, in the same faraway tone she'd used earlier, "There don't seem to be many fish in the waters today. How sad."

Zelgadis had a feeling that meant that she was done speaking then, and Xellos seemed to have the same train of thought when he bowed to Deep Sea Dolphin, and retrieved his staff. Zelas and Zelgadis did the same with their weapons. "Thank you, Lady Dolphin," Xellos replied. "We won't trouble you further."

And then the Great Hall vanished, giving way to Zelas' own hall, the brightness suddenly giving way to darkness.

"Well, that was a monumental waste of time," Zelgadis grumbled, sheathing his sword.

"Not entirely," Xellos said, looking at him. "Actually, she said about as much as I expected her to say. But if you were any good at reading between the lines, Zelgadis, you would've picked up what she was saying when she wasn't really saying anything."

Zelgadis stared at him. "Xellos, I'm not even sure I understand what _you're_ saying."

Xellos closed his eyes and ran his hand through his hair. "It doesn't matter. What does matter is, _I _know who the Omega is."

Zelas and Zelgadis both looked at Xellos with identical expressions of disbelief, the Mazoku Lord pausing just before she went to sit down once more. "What?" Zelas asked.

"Who?" Zelgadis demanded. "And _how_ did you figure it out?"

"I listened," Xellos said, looking at Zelgadis with a raised eyebrow. "At any rate…we got the information we needed. I'm ready to go back – who knows what kind of trouble they've gotten into while we were away?" The remark was meant to lighten the mood a little, but judging from the expression on Zelgadis' face, it had done just the opposite. _Had_ the Alpha tried anything?

Amethyst eyes met sapphire, and the two of them nodded slightly. Xellos turned to Zelas, and bowed. "Lord Beastmaster, I'll take my leave now. I will report in as soon as I can."

"Take your time, Xellos," Zelas said, flipping her long blonde hair over her shoulder as she settled back onto her seat. "There are some things more important than reports."

Xellos looked a little surprised at this statement – after all, Zelas was notorious for keeping tabs on her minions – but at the same time, he looked somewhat relieved. Less necessary contact with the Mazoku world made it easier at that moment to keep his relationship with Filia a secret, among other things. He nodded in understanding, and turned to Zelgadis. "Ready?"

"I've _been_ ready," Zelgadis replied impatiently, tapping the hilt of his sword. Xellos smirked at Zelgadis' impatience, then stepped up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. The two of them vanished in an instant.

Zelas looked at the place where they'd been, her chin resting on her hand thoughtfully.

Suddenly, an image appeared in the air in front of her, and her eyes widened, causing her to sit straight up. "You…!"

"Zelas," Dynast Grausherra said, his eyes cold. "We need to talk."

_

* * *

_

_Amelia? Amelia, wake up. _

Blue eyes slowly opened, and Amelia whimpered softly as pain laced through her head. "Who…?" Her eyes widened slightly as she realized the voice she was hearing was in her head. "Milgazea?"

_Yes, it's me. I'm sorry I didn't return sooner – I had to make sure that the Alpha would not be able to overhear us. Are you okay?_

"The last thing I remember was…a lot of pain," Amelia said, pulling herself into a sitting position and swaying slightly. She had to press her hand against the side of the cage to keep the room from spinning. "What happened…?"

_Power absorption spell, _was the reply. _Compliments of the Alpha.__ Now that he's in a Golden Dragon body with powers that he can actually use, he's able to use magic that is far more sophisticated than before. _

"Power absorption?" Amelia looked down at her hands. "But…" Her eyes widened slightly, and her hands went to her abdomen. "It didn't hurt my baby, did it?"

_No. Power absorption only affects those targeted by the spell – I don't even think the Alpha knows that you're with child. But he'll find out if we don't get you out soon. Now listen to me, very closely. This spell – it will go off at random intervals, and the Alpha doesn't need to be present when it does. At those moments, you'll be rendered completely helpless. But there is no way to predict when those moments will occur. _

Amelia bit her lip, shivering from fear. "So…what does it mean? If that's the case, then there's no hope for escape…" She swallowed hard, tears threatening to well up in her eyes. She blinked rapidly, holding them back. "If one of those attacks hit me…I'll just get caught again…"

_You sound like you don't even want to try. You're giving up?_

Amelia looked up, half expecting to see a face attached to the voice that sounded like it was in the same room. "Give up?" She narrowed her eyes. "Give up? I'm Princess Amelia Wil Tesla Seyruun. I do not _give up._ Ever. I'll take any risk necessary for me…but I will _not_ risk my baby." Her hand touched her stomach, then clenched into a fist. "I won't."

_I would expect nothing less._ _Then…we'll begin. _

Amelia's eyes widened as a bright light suddenly shone outside of the cage, taking the form of a man. Then the light faded, and her jaw dropped as she found herself staring at the same face that the Alpha currently wore – but clearly _not_ under any form of control.

Few things had changed about his appearance – he still had the same youthful features that he had when she had first met him in the Katato mountains. The only noticeable physical change was that his hair had grown several more feet in length, and was now pulled away from his face in a high ponytail.

But everything else was different.

Gone were the white robes of his station, and in their place, a brilliant golden armor that seemed to shine with its own inner light. Though he had held no weapons before, a spear was strapped to his back, looking as though it had never been used. There was something...familiar…about the spear, but Amelia couldn't put her finger on it. She decided not to focus on it.

"Milgazea…?" she asked hesitantly.

"Please, call me X," he replied. "I come to you not as the Golden Dragon Milgazea, but as the Chaos Warrior X."

"But…aren't you supposed to not travel to the past?" Amelia asked hesitantly. "Won't it change things?"

X chuckled. "Only if it didn't originally happen. But, you see, I know that it did. I'm the only one permitted to contact the past. And since _I_ am the future self of the Alpha's current host, I know where the Alpha is right now…and how to avoid him in order to get you out. You didn't think I was going to let you try and find your way out of this by yourself, did you?"

Amelia flushed slightly, looking down. "Well, actually…" Clearly, she had been thinking along those lines. Then she looked around. "How do I get out of here…?"

"Easy enough." X pressed his hand against the side of the cage, and it vanished without warning. He held out his hand, and helped Amelia to her feet. "Even though the Alpha has his own powers, he hates to exhaust them any more than he has to – so he used mine. Most of the spells in this place that could be powered using my magic were set by _me_, not him, in that sense." He grinned. "And since _I_ set these spells, _I_ can unset them. Now enough talk…let's go, Amelia."

She nodded, her expression determined. "Let's hurry…"

Opening the door leading out was as simple as opening the cage had been, and X cautiously peered out into the hallway. He nodded slightly. "Good…this way." Putting his hand on her back, he guided her out of the room. "This place is just as much of a maze as the shrine to the Claire Bible was…oh, right. You never saw it, did you? Only Lina, and that Martina girl."

"Lina told us about it," Amelia replied. "You _do_ know the way out…right?"

X chuckled softly, nodding. "Right," he said. "Now hush…I know where the Alpha is _supposed _to be right now, but there isn't any sense in borrowing trouble. Time is a tricky thing."

Amelia nodded slowly, in understanding.

"Take out your orb," X said quietly. "The natural protection will help us through this."

"But I thought that the protection only worked when there was more than one," Amelia said.

X held up his hand, not looking at her as he did so. Amelia's eyes widened when she saw the perfect sphere embedded in his palm. She looked down at the nearly identical one that she was holding in hers. "How…?"

"The price one pays for the power," X replied. "I am as tied to this orb as it is to me – when I am X, as I am now, it becomes one with me. And should anything happen to it when I am just myself…"

Amelia looked at him. "There's so much we don't know about the Chaos Warriors," she said softly. "All of us…X…you could explain so much…"

X shook his head. "No, Amelia. It isn't my place…and once I free you from here, I must return to where I came from. The others must not see me."

"But…"

"Does that disappoint you?" X asked, looking at her. "I know you wanted answers, Amelia…but I'm not the one who can give them to you. My only official role was to distribute the power orbs to their bearers. No one knows I'm here."

"But why –" Amelia cut herself off when a searing pain suddenly shot through her, and she doubled over, wrapping her arms around herself and slamming her eyes shut as she bit her lip, trying not to cry out in pain. X's arms were around her immediately, supporting her as she tried to fight off the pain that was coursing through her.

Then she went limp, her eyes relaxing to indicate her state of unconsciousness. X looked down at her, his expression grim as he picked her up gently. _I wasn't expecting the next attack to come so soon_, he thought. _Damn the Alpha – this is going to be harder than I thought. And what would he have needed to absorb her power for _this_ time?_

With a cautious glance behind him, X began to walk, carrying Amelia in his arms, and hoping that she would wake up soon.

* * *

There was nothing salvageable about the library, but no matter how many times Filia told Valgaav that, he still insisted that they search through all of the ruins, through the ashes and the remains, until they were absolutely certain there was nothing to find. This aggravated Filia, but she couldn't really complain about it - it wasn't as if Valgaav were leaving all of the work to them. He'd been in the rubble, digging, just as much as she and the others had been. This meant that by the time the sun rose two days after the explosion, and three days after Amelia had been kidnapped, they were all about to drop from exhaustion.

Filia sat down wearily on a chunk of stone, tucking a few strands of blonde hair that had escaped from the ponytail she'd pulled it back in behind her ear. "I need a break," she said, wiping the sweat from her brow. "The heat is beginning to get unbearable…I thought this was the north. Isn't it supposed to be cold here? Not to mention the fact that it's winter…"

Valgaav moved to stand beside her, and Filia looked at him as he looked up at the sky, shielding his eyes with his hand to block out the sun. "Raenos has a tendency to experience extreme weather – but you're right, Filia, even this is ridiculous. I wouldn't be at all surprised if it had something to do with the Alpha."

"What, he can manipulate the weather now?" Zangulus asked, pushing back his hat. "Is there _nothing_ this guy can't do?" He leaned against the shovel he'd been using, the tool embedded in the ground for support. "Speaking of His Freakiness, we haven't heard much out of him for a few days. You'd think after taking Amelia, he'd be ba-OW!" Zangulus dropped his shovel suddenly, grabbing the foot that Lina had just slammed her hell down on and hopping slightly. "Why you…!"

"Valgaav, we aren't going to find anything in this mess," Lina said, looking at the Mazoku, her hands on her hips. "None of us got a decent night's sleep – if the Alpha _did_ attack now, we'd be dead because we'd be too busy yawning!"

Valgaav looked away from the sun, looking at Lina. "I never asked you to help me here," he replied. "I never completely went through all of the books in the library – if anything survived that could help us, I want to find it."

"This rubble isn't going _anywhere_," Lina replied. "It can wait a few hours while we all get some sleep. Look – Gourry's sleeping standing up!" She pointed at the blonde swordsman, who was standing with a shovel in his hands, snoring lightly.

Valgaav raised an eyebrow. "Gourry isn't exactly the best example to be used for anything," he replied, ignoring the protest Sylphiel gave at his words. "Go on. All of you. If you want to go, go, but I've got things to do."

"You're just as exhausted as the rest of us," Lina snapped, shaking her head. "What good are you going to be to anyone if _you_ collapse?"

"What does it matter?" Valgaav snapped. "I'm not a Chaos Warrior."

"Would someone mind explaining what the hell is going on here?"

They all turned to face Xellos and Zelgadis, who were standing on the edge of the ruins, staring around them in disbelief.

"Xellos!" Filia exclaimed, her eyes lighting up when she saw him. Then she put her hands on her hips, standing up and glaring at him. "_What took you so long?!_"

Xellos looked at her, amused. "So long? We were only gone two days, Fi-chan." Filia blushed at the use of the nickname, as the Mazoku priest looked around. "Now, once again – what the hell is going on here?"

"The library blew up," Zangulus said matter-of-factly. "Not sure how, not sure why, though we're pretty certain it was the Alpha, and Valgaav thinks it was meant to be a slap in the face for him."

Valgaav glared at Zangulus. "I don't see you offering any other opinions."

Zangulus shrugged.

"That's because there aren't any," Xellos replied. "Given what Zelgadis and I learned from Deep-Sea Dolphin, you're probably right, Valgaav."

Lina looked startled. "Deep-Sea Dolphin?' she exclaimed. "Wait. You mean that you two went to go see Deep-Sea Dolphin? That's who you went to see?" She looked at Zelgadis, who hadn't spoken since they'd gotten there.

"Yup, pretty much," Xellos said cheerfully. "She told us a lot of things."

Zelgadis looked at Xellos, his eyes narrowed. "And I _still_ don't see where you came to that conclusion," he said, sounding irritated. "I heard the same things you did, and she didn't tell us anything except a bunch of riddles that had no answer and almost all said the same thing."

"You just need to learn to translate Deep-Sea Dolphin," Xellos said, waving it off.

"So you found out something?" Sylphiel asked, reaching over and shaking Gourry's shoulder. The blonde awoke with a start, almost falling over as he did so. He blinked. "Xellos? Zel? When did you get here?" Sylphiel sighed, and shook her head.

"Just now, Gourry," Zelgadis replied. He looked around at the rubble that was the library. "I take it everyone was okay when this happened? No one was hurt?"

"No, most of us were away from the blast," Valgaav replied, glancing at Lina, who was shaking her head slightly. "And the rest of the castle wasn't touched – sure sign of magic."

"Well, except Lina's room," Gourry volunteered. "She almost got crushed by her wall."

Zelgadis looked at Lina sharply, his voice raising a bit. "What?!" he asked, looking alarmed.

"I'm fine," Lina said, glaring at Gourry. She hadn't wanted to mention that – Valgaav had picked up on that, but Gourry the Clueless was living up to his name, as usual. "See? No bruises, no cuts, no broken bones. It was a little close, but I'm fine."

Zelgadis didn't look convinced. In fact, he looked downright upset, his arms folded over his chest as he looked at her. "How close is close?" he asked.

Lina averted her eyes from his gaze. "I was just about to walk out the door…"

"Lina!" Zelgadis looked shocked. "And you're out here digging through this mess instead of taking it easy? You could have been killed!"

Lina clenched her jaw, and looked back at him. "Yeah, maybe I could've. But Zel, I could've been killed by Shabranigdo, I _was_ killed by Copy Rezo, and I would've died from Gaav if Phibrizo hadn't jumped in and killed him instead…then proceed to use me to try and end the world only to have the Lord of Nightmares take over my body and nearly drag me into oblivion. And yet, I'm still here. And in my honest-to-Cepheid, personal opinion, the wall doesn't hold a candle to any of those guys." She glared at him, red eyes flashing. "I'm not a small, weakling flower that you need to feel you have to protect, Zelgadis." She turned on her heel and stalked off, her short red hair flying behind her as if the echo her indignation.

Zelgadis looked after her as she disappeared into the building, shocked.

A hand clapped down on his shoulder. "Welcome to the world of relationships, Zel," Xellos said, looking at him. "You've now officially pissed Lina off – now guess what you get to do?"

Zelgadis looked at him warily. "What?"

"Apologize." Xellos gave him a little push towards the building.

"Apolo…but I didn't do anything!" Zelgadis protested, looking at him.

"That doesn't matter," Xellos replied. "She's mad at you because of what you said, and therefore, you need to apologize or risk her holding a grudge against you for a long time. It doesn't matter whether or not you understand what you're apologizing for, or whether you're sincere – you need to do it. So go apologize to her, beg her forgiveness, and if you're lucky she'll let you steal a kiss or two."

Zelgadis looked at Xellos incredulously, then looked at the others. Gourry, Zangulus, and Valgaav were all nodding in agreement – apparently, they'd had experience with these sort of things before. Zelgadis heaved a reluctant sigh, and turned to hurry after Lina.

Filia reached out and grabbed Xellos' ear once Zelgadis had gone. "What was that about apologizing even when you _aren't_ sincere?" she demanded. "Did I hear you right, Namagomi?"

"Owowowowow…oh, come on, Fi-chan!" Xellos protested, looking at her pleadingly. "You know I'm always one hundred percent sincere in my apologies! Now please, let go of my ear – I like it attached to my head." This earned a harder tug. "Owowowowowow…" Zangulus and Sylphiel began to laugh at their antics, and even Valgaav looked amused.

"Quiet!" Everyone stopped and turned to stare at Gourry, the only one who hadn't been laughing. He was looking up at the sky, a frown on his face.

"Gourry?" Sylphiel asked, putting a hand on his arm. "Is something wrong?"

"I thought I heard something," Gourry replied. "Something like wings…look!" He pointed off at the horizon.

Valgaav followed his line of sight, and nearly fell over in shock. A large group of something was flying at top speed towards them, and as they got closer, it was easy to see what that large group was. "Golden Dragons?!"

"Is it the Alpha?" Zangulus asked, one hand up to make sure his hat stayed put as the wind kicked up from the beating of dozens of wings.

"No…too many – there's no way he could control this many at once, not Goldens," Valgaav replied. "This is something else."

Xellos looked at Filia, and his eyes widened slightly when he realized that his mate was very, very pale. She was staring at the swarm of approaching dragons as if she recognized them. "Fi-chan? What is it?"

Filia swallowed hard, looking faint. "It's…it's the Supreme Elder," she said, as the first of the dragons began to land. "And every other resident of the Temple of the Fire Dragon King."


	21. Choices

**Slayers FUTURE **

**Fallen Angel**

**Chapter Twenty-One: Choices**

"The Supreme Elder?" Valgaav asked, his eyes widening slightly as he looked at Filia.

Filia nodded, staring up at the sky and the incoming dragons.

"They'll be landing in a few minutes," Xellos said, frowning. "What are they doing here? And how did they find this place?"

"I don't know," Valgaav growled. "But this is _my_ home…they better have a good explanation."

Zangulus turned and stared at Valgaav. "Last I heard, you were on their 'most wanted' list. What makes you think they're going to explain anything to you?"

Filia bit her lip…then suddenly gasped. "Xellos," she said, looking at him. "You better make yourself scarce, and fast. I know we were told to work together to find out information on the Alpha, but I've been gone from the Temple for so long…"

Xellos nodded. "If they've heard any rumors…I'm gone." And without warning, he vanished.

Just as the Supreme Elder, and his entourage of dragons, landed amongst the wreckage of Raenos' library.

The Supreme Elder immediately assumed his human guise, as did his companions, and began walking across the rubble towards them. "Filia," he said, looking at the young priestess as he approached.

Filia looked at him, trembling slightly out of nervousness. Why were they here? What was going on? "S-supreme Elder," she said, bowing slightly to him. "What are you doing here?"

"I heard that this is where you've been for the last months that we haven't heard from you," the Supreme Elder replied. "I must say, I was surprised. This area is right in the heart of the Ancient Dragon territory."

"It would make sense, considering whose home this is," Valgaav growled, moving forward to stand beside Filia. "What are you doing here, old man?"

The Supreme Elder looked startled, to say the least. "You…Valgaav!" he exclaimed, his eyes widening. "What are _you_ doing here?" He looked at Filia. "Filia, what is he doing here? He's a Mazoku…and an Ancient Dragon!"

"You were the one who said we had to work with the Mazoku on this, Supreme Elder," Filia said, slightly flustered at being put on the spotlight. She'd wished Valgaav had just kept his mouth shut.

"Valgaav is not 'the Mazoku'," the Supreme Elder responded. "He is neither of their caste or of ours. He has no part in this. Why is he here?"

"Because this is my home, old man," Valgaav snapped. "Contrary to your beliefs, my entire life does not revolve around trying to destroy you or your Temple, though the thought is more than little tempting at this moment. You mighty Golden Dragons aren't the only ones involved when it comes to the Alpha. And as long as you're in _my home, you won't speak as if I'm not right here to hear you._" Valgaav clenched his fists at his sides.

"Supreme Elder, Valgaav is right," Filia said, trying to play the part of peacemaker. "He's been helping us find information on the Alpha."

The Supreme Elder was glaring at Valgaav, but Filia's words seemed to remind him of something else. "Ah, yes, the Alpha," he said. "And how has the information gathering been going, Filia? I'm assuming that you haven't found much, seeing as how neither you nor Xellos Metallium have reported in to either of your superiors with any information." The Supreme Elder narrowed his eyes, and looked around. "Or is that what he's doing now?"

_Uh, oh._ Valgaav kept his expression guarded. _We shouldn't have been so quick to dismiss Xellos. _

"Things have become complicated concerning the Alpha, Supreme Elder," Filia said, her voice sounding calm, though Valgaav could see the effort she was putting into keeping it that way. "Delivering the information we've been gathering hasn't become our main priority, in light of recent circumstances…"

" 'Recent circumstances'?" The Supreme Elder looked at her, and suddenly Filia felt her throat tighten. She didn't like the way he said that. "And what would those 'recent circumstances' be, Filia?

"The fact that you have taken a Mazoku…for a mate?"

Everyone fell silent. Filia could feel the accusing stares from the other Golden Dragons, could feel the tenseness coming from her friends. The blood drained from her face as she met the Supreme Elder's gaze. "How?" she whispered.

"You didn't really think you keep it secret from us, did you, Filia?" The Supreme Elder asked coldly. "You are a Priestess of the Fire Dragon King. Or, rather, you _were_." His golden eyes darkened angrily.

"Were…?" Filia asked weakly.

"You didn't expect to keep that title once the truth was known, did you?" he practically spat. "Not after you _whored_ yourself out to a ruthless, _filthy_ Mazoku who practically destroyed our entire race!"

With a growl, Valgaav stepped forward, towering over the Supreme Elder. A couple of the other dragons moved forward, but Zangulus and Gourry were in front of them, their hands on the hilts of their swords. "Watch what you say, old man," Valgaav growled.

The Supreme Elder ignored him, still looking at Filia, who looked like she was about to collapse. "Or have I heard it incorrectly? Were you, perhaps, not a willing partner to this?" he asked.

Filia drew in a sharp breath. After what he just said…he was giving her an out? He was giving her a chance to retain her station as a Priestess of the Temple, and to come out of this unscathed…

"You heard correctly," she found herself saying, and the walls came down. That was that. There was no going back.

The murmurings rose up from the assembled crowd. She could hear them clearly, they weren't even trying to hide their contempt. None of them could imagine ever being with a Mazoku.

"Slut."

"Disgrace."

"Barely even a dragon."

Hot tears stung Filia's eyes, and she looked down at the ground, unable to look at anyone right then. _How? How did they find out? How could this have happened? No one knew…_

"Get off my land," Valgaav growled softly, his golden eyes flashing angrily. "You don't want my anger."

The Supreme Elder looked up at him. "And you are so concerned with her well-being why?" he questioned, his tone implying his undertone.

Filia's face turned scarlet.

"You've become much more sharp-tongued than I remember, _Supreme Elder_," a voice said from beside her, dripping with sarcasm. "I find that it isn't at all fitting for one of your supposed station."

Filia's head snapped up, and she turned, meeting the cold, violet-eyed gaze of Xellos. His eyes were open, the cat's-eye gaze fixed on the Supreme Elder. His face was expressionless to most – but she knew him well enough to know that inside, he was furious.

"Ah, there you are," the Supreme Elder said. "I was wondering if you were going to show your face."

"I think Valgaav told you to leave," Xellos said quietly. He clenched his grip around his Staff, his knuckles practically white. "And now I'm telling you as well. You have no business here."

"We've already received the answers we came for," the Supreme Elder replied. "Filia. We're leaving."

"What?" The word flew from Filia's mouth before she could stop herself. She stared at the Supreme Elder in disbelief. Was he _serious?_

"We're leaving," the Supreme Elder repeated. "The Golden Dragons are done working with the Mazoku. As of now, all ties are severed. All of them."

A short laugh burst from Filia's throat, earning a surprised look from the Supreme Elder.

"You…honestly…expect me…to go with you?" Filia asked, looking at him incredulously as tears began to fall from her eyes. "After what you just _said_ to me? You expect me to follow you, like some willing slave?"

"You may no longer be a Priestess, but you are still a Golden Dragon," the Supreme Elder said calmly. "You will follow orders."

"Go to hell," Filia spat, causing Xellos to turn to her, wide-eyed. "I'm not going anywhere. You have no _idea_ what's going on, or what my role in it is." She reached up, gripped the blue gem that hung on the front of her robes, and yanked it off, throwing it to land at the Supreme Elder's feet. "I'm not one of your little pawns. I, Filia Ul Copt, hereby sever _all_ ties to the Temple of the Fire Dragon King, and the Clan of the Golden Dragon. So I declare it, and so it is." Her voice carried an authority it hadn't before, and it was clear – at least to Xellos – that this wasn't just Filia talking.

This was the Lambda, of the Chaos Warriors.

The Supreme Elder stared at the jewel lying on the ground in front of him, and for the first time since he'd arrived, he seemed to be in a state of shock. This was unexpected. This was unplanned. No Golden Dragon had _ever_ revoked their heritage the way that Filia just had.

Valgaav stood in front of the Supreme Elder, his expression cold.

"Filia…" The Supreme Elder looked at her.

Blue eyes met his, and then, without another word, she turned on her heel and hurried towards the castle, disappearing inside of it without another look back.

The Golden Dragons were silent for a moment, and then the Elder shook his head slightly. He reached down and picked up the jewel, tucking it under his arm and turning to face his group. "Let us return to the Temple," he said. "There is nothing left for us…!" His words were cut off by a large staff suddenly being caught around his throat, pulled back to make it hard for him to breathe.

"If you _ever_," Xellos hissed in the Supreme Elder's ear, "do _anything_ like that again, _Elder_, mark my words. _You will not leave alive._" He pulled the staff back a little tighter, just enough to make the Elder have to gasp for breath, then stepped back.

Xellos looked at Valgaav. "I'll leave it to you." He vanished.

He reappeared a moment later in his room, knowing instinctively that he would find Filia there. As expected, she was sitting on the bed, her knees drawn up to her chest with her arms wrapped around them. She wasn't looking at him – her face was buried in her arms, as if she were crying, though he couldn't hear any sobs.

He set his staff against the wall and walked over to her, sitting down on the bed and sliding his arms around her. Immediately she shifted into his embrace, hugging him tightly and pressing her face against his chest.

"It's all right," he said quietly. "They're gone."

"How did they find out?" Filia whispered, clutching his shirt tightly. "We were so careful…how did they find out about us?"

"I don't know," Xellos replied, running his fingers through her hair. He was lying. He had a possible idea on how they could have found out. But he wasn't going to tell Filia. Not yet. Not until he'd figured out how to deal with it. "What are you going to do now?"

She lifted her head so that she could look at him. "What do you mean?" she asked.

He looked down at her, amethyst eyes uncharacteristically soft. "You just denounced your entire heritage," he said. "You can never go back to the Temple, Filia…never. After this is over…"

"It isn't over yet," Filia interrupted him. "And the Temple isn't the only place in the world, you know." She swallowed hard. "I'll find something…somewhere."

She was strong, his Fi-chan. Stronger than he had ever realized. "You mean _we'll_ find somewhere," he corrected, cupping her cheek.

She looked at him questioningly.

"The cat is out of the bag, as the saying goes," Xellos replied. "Now that the dragons know about us, it's only a matter of time before word gets out among the Mazoku. I doubt my kin will take to this any better than yours did."

"Xellos…" Filia's eyes widened. "You mean…you would…"

"You just turned your back on your people for me," he said. "How could I do any less? I may be a Mazoku, Fi-chan…but I also have a heart."

Tears welled up in Filia's eyes. "You would do that, for me?" she whispered.

"I love you, Filia," Xellos said honestly. "I would do anything for you."

"Oh, Xellos…!" Filia threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly.

He tightened his arms around her, pressing his face into her hair and kissing it softly. _We're in this together, Filia_, he vowed. _One way or another, we'll find a way._


	22. Voice From The Dark

**Slayers FUTURE: Fallen Angel**

**Chapter Twenty-Two: Voice From The Dark**

Darkness. Everything was so dark. Amelia sat huddled in the middle of what felt like a vast room, but it was so dark, there was no way to figure out just how large it was.

But she was alone, that much she knew.

The pain had stopped, at least. There was no pain in this place, only darkness.

"Milgazea?" Amelia called softly, looking around into the darkness. Where did he go? He'd been here a moment ago, but then the pain had started, and suddenly she'd plunged into this darkness. "Milgazea?"

There was no answer.

Amelia drew her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, shivering slightly. It seemed to get darker in this empty place, and colder, too, as she realized that she really was alone. Tears welled up in her eyes. "Valgaav," she whispered, tightening her arms around her knees. "Valgaav, I wish you were here. I don't want to be alone."

"Are you alone?"

The small voice made Amelia look up, startled. "Who…?" Her eyes widened slightly.

Standing in front of her, bathed in a small halo of light, was a little boy who appeared no more than five years old. His hair was the same ebony as her own, but his eyes were a soft golden color, the pupils those of a Mazoku. And rising from the top of his head was a small horn, framed by his hair exactly like Valgaav's.

The boy smiled at Amelia, cocking his head to one side and she stared at him. "Are you alone?" he repeated.

"I…I thought I was," Amelia said. "But you're here, so I suppose I'm not."

"Have you been here long?" the little boy asked.

"I don't know," Amelia murmured, biting her lip. She reached up and wiped at her eyes, brushing away the tears that she had started to shed when she'd thought about Valgaav.

"Why are you crying?" The curious voice became concerned, and the little boy kneeled down, looking at her.

"I'm crying because there are people that I miss very much, and I can't be with them right now," Amelia replied.

"Are you never going to see them?"

"If I can't get out of here, I don't think I can…but I don't know where I am, or how to get out."

"I know the way out."

Amelia looked up, meeting his eyes. Golden eyes, so familiar… "You do?" she asked.

The boy nodded. "But you have to really, really want to go," he said, "or it won't work."

Amelia nodded slowly. "What do I have to do?" she asked.

"Think about the reason why you want to leave, and then take my hand," he said, holding his hand out to her. "Think really hard."

Amelia nodded again. _Think about why I want to leave…I want to see the others again. Lina, and Zelgadis, and Gourry, and Filia, Xellos, Sylphiel, Zangulus…I want to see my father again…I want to see Valgaav again!_ She reached out and placed her hand on top of the little boy's. "What's your name?" she asked suddenly, looking at him, as he eyes began to slide close almost on their own.

The boy smiled. "My name is…" But her eyes closed completely before she could hear him, and when she opened them again, she was staring into another pair of golden eyes, though this time they were framed by a mane of blonde hair.

"X?" she mumbled.

"Thank goodness," he said, looking relieved. "I was wondering when you were going to wake up. You were out cold for a long time. How do you feel?"

Amelia shifted, trying to stand, and realized that she was being carried. X set her down so that she could stand, and her feet touched dirt, not the cold stone floor of the Alpha's headquarters. "Where are we?" she asked, looking around and realizing that they were outside, standing in the middle of a large clearing. Forest surrounded them on all sides, and rising above the treetops, she could just barely make out the roofs of some buildings.

"We managed to make it out of the Alpha's stronghold," X replied, looking around. "And this is where we ended up. I think, to conceal its true location, once you leave his base you could end up anywhere in the world."

"How far are we from Raenos?" Amelia asked, looking at him. "And will the Alpha be able to find out where we ended up?"

"I don't know," X replied. "But this is as far as I can go. I can't risk anyone else seeing me." He pointed to the north. "There's a city to the north – you'll be safe there. Safer, I think, than anywhere else. And they may be able to help you get back to the others."

"What city?" Amelia asked, not sure if she wanted X to go yet. What if the Alpha managed to find her before she could find the others?

X looked at her, and smiled. "It's Seyruun, Amelia," he said. "Welcome home."


	23. Offensive Preperations

**Slayers FUTURE: Fallen Angel**

**Chapter Twenty-Three: Offensive Preparations **

Amelia stared up at the gates leading into the city, swallowing hard. She turned and looked at X. "I can't go in there," she said, shaking her head. "I'm not ready…I've been gone for so long…"

X put his hand on her shoulder. "It'll be fine, Amelia," he said gently. "This is the safest place for you to be right now – the Alpha is at his most vulnerable in the white magic capital."

"But…he attacked it earlier," Amelia said, shaking her head. "He controlled a wyrm, and it attacked the palace. That was when Valgaav…when Valgaav kidnapped me."

X looked at Amelia silently for a moment. "That's what you're really afraid of, isn't t? Your father finding out about your relationship with Valgaav."

"Of course that's what I'm afraid of!" Amelia said. "I'm…I'm going to have a Mazoku's baby!" She rested her hands on her stomach, feeling tears in her eyes. "If my father finds out…"

Suddenly she looked up at him. "You're from the future, X – you know how he'll react. Please tell me. I need to know..." Her voice trailed off – X was already shaking his head, his blue eyes downcast.

"I'm sorry, but you know I can't," X said gently. "Revealing the future could have an impact on the past, and it isn't a risk that can be taken. I'm afraid you'll have to find out for yourself."

"But…" Amelia glanced over at the gates.

"Cheer up," X said, smiling kindly at her. "You're not ashamed of your baby, are you?"

Amelia's eyes widened. "No, of course not!" she exclaimed. "I love my baby."

"And you love Valgaav, right?"

She blushed, nodding. "I do," she said softly.

"And I _know_ he loves you," he said, putting his hand on her shoulder. "So what are you afraid of?"

"My father…"

"Your father also loves you," X said. "He wants you to be happy. Now wipe those tears, stand tall, and don't let anyone push you around. You're a princess, Amelia, and you can handle this."

Amelia nodded slightly. "You're right" she said softly. "But…how can you be sure the Alpha can't attack Seyruun. He did before…"

"He had to use an emissary before," X replied. "Now that he's in a true pure body, he won't be able to control anything else To attack you, he would have to come after you in person. Though he's at the height of his power now, he has more limitations on himself than he dd."

"But that still doesn't explain why he can't come to Seyruun," Amelia said.

"Seyruun is the white magic capital, and the Alpha's power is rooted in black magic," X replied. "He won't take the risk of having his powers drained to the extent that they would be. Even to get you, he wouldn't risk it, because your own powers are amplified here."

Amelia looked back at the gates, wrapping her arms around herself and just staring silently for a moment.

"Thank you," she said softly. "Are you going now?"

X nodded. "I have to. My journey ends here. No one else can be allowed to see me but you, and the guards will see you the moment you come into sight. I have to go now."

Amelia hesitated, then stepped towards him, wrapping her arms around him and hugging him tightly. "Thank you for everything," she said softly. "How can I ever repay you?"

X smiled gently, hugging her back. "Get that slimy friend out of my body?" he asked lightly.

She pulled back and smiled up at him. "Count on it," she said. She turned her back on him then, and took a deep breath.

Then she spun around. "I don't think I can…" Her voice trailed off as she realized she was staring at thin air.

He was gone. As quickly as he had appeared, he was gone, and she was alone.

"Well," she said softly. "That's that, then. It's all up to me." She turned around one more time, and took another deep breath. "You can do this, Amelia. As long as you're not trapped by the Alpha, you can do this." She closed her eyes and slipped her hand into the pocket in her cloak, her hand closing around the small orb lying there.

_Valgaav, I wish you were here. _

Then she stepped out of the woods and onto the path that led up to the gate leading into Seyruun.

The wall that surrounded the city wasn't a large wall, serving only for the purpose of marking off the city limits and keeping it from expanding any further than it already had. There were gates all around the wall, instead of just one, and Amelia had once thought that was a sign of honesty and trust. Now she realized that as nice as those ideals were, there were dangers in the world than honesty and trust just couldn't protect people from. Seyruun was in danger with its many gates, with only one or two guards keeping watch at each.

It was something she was going to have to talk to her father about.

She walked up to the guards standing at the gate, her head held high, trying to look more confident than she actually felt. How long had it been since she'd left Seyruun? How many months? Five? Six? At least that. Her hair was down to her waist now – she'd gained a few inches in height, and…well, if she wasn't now, soon she'd be putting some pounds.

But it seemed she'd changed even more than that, because the guards didn't seem to react at all when they noticed her. They didn't seem to recognize her at all.

"Hello, miss," one of the guards said, bowing courteously to you. "Welcome to Seyruun. What brings you here today?"

"I'm returning home after being away for a long time," Amelia replied. "I don't think my father is expecting me though."

The guard straightened up. "So you would be from around…" His voice trailed off, and his eyes widened. "Blessed Cepheid. Princess Amelia? Is that you?"

Amelia smiled at the guard, who she had known since she'd been a child. "Hello, Alion. It's been awhile."

"Far too long," Alion replied, staring at her with amazement. "Everyone…no one thought you were alive, Princess."

"I don't blame them," Amelia said, brushing her hair back. "I've been gone for quite awhile. I'd like to see my father now." It was amazing how calm she was managing to sound when inside her stomach was in knots. All those years of learning to be a proper princess were really paying off.

Alion and his partner nodded. "Of course, Princess Amelia," he said, bowing. "I will escort you to the palace personally. Sharan, hurry to the palace and alert them to the Princess' arrival."

The other man nodded, turning and hurrying into the city.

Alion turned back to Amelia. "It's really good to have you back, Princess," he said, smiling at her.

Amelia smiled, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "It's…good to be back," she said softly.

* * *

Xellos quietly closed the door to his and Filia's room, not wanting to wake her as he left. He turned, and nearly collided with Valgaav.

"Would you watch where you're going?" Xellos growled, looking up at the taller Mazoku. "You need to wear a bell or something. You make no noise when you walk."

"Neither do you," Valgaav said. "It must be a Mazoku thing."

Xellos snorted. "Ready?"

Valgaav nodded, continuing on down the hallway. Xellos fell into step behind him, until they reached a set of large, ornately carved doors. Jilas was sitting in front of them, looking like he was about to fall asleep, but he leapt to his feet the moment he saw Valgaav.

"Are the others here already?" Valgaav asked Jilas.

"Yes, Valgaav-sama!" Jilas said, nodding emphatically. "They've been waiting for a few minutes." He pushed open the door, and Valgaav and Xellos walked in.

Everyone but Filia sat at the table, and looked up when they heard Valgaav and Xellos enter.

"How's Filia-san?" Sylphiel asked, concern in her voice and expression as she looked at Xellos. Next to her, Gourry squeezed her hand gently, looking equally concerned.

"Sleeping," Xellos replied, wearily taking a seat to the right of Valgaav, who seated himself at the head of the table, as if he were a King – which, in fact, in Raenos he was. Zelgadis sat to Valgaav's left, with Lina next to him and Zangulus on the other side, and Sylphiel and Gourry sat on the other side of Gourry. "It took awhile for her to calm down, so I'd like to keep her sleeping as long as possible."

"I can't believe the Supreme Elder," Zangulus said, shaking his head and pushing his hat back out of his eyes. "I thought the Golden Dragons were supposed be righteous and pure – isn't that why the Alpha wanted one for a host?"

Valgaav snorted, showing his opinion clearly of the Golden Dragons as a whole. "Their power may be the purest of the dragon clans, but there are other ways to be corrupted," he replied. "While the Ancient Dragons certainly didn't have the purest power, at least we kept our noses out of the businesses of other races." His fist clenched slightly as he remembered again the slaughter of his people, a memory never too far from his mind.

"And perhaps the Golden Dragons' corruption has something to do with the Alpha himself," Xellos mused. "The Golden Dragons weren't always what they are today. Long ago – before my time, even, - the Goldens were a much smaller race, in numbers as well as physically. It wasn't until just before the War of the Monster's Fall that they began to increase in power. In fact, we Mazoku were surprised to see them among the fighters in that war. We had expected no challenge from them."

"So before the Kouma War, the Golden Dragons suddenly experienced an increase in power?" Lina asked, leaning forward and looking at Xellos.

Valgaav looked at Xellos as well. The Kouma War had been before his time as a Mazoku, and the Ancient Dragons hadn't joined in the slaughter. "And you think this has something to do with the Alpha?" he asked.

"All I know is, the Golden Dragons used to be a small race that lived near human villages as friends to the humans. They didn't have fancy temples, and lived in caves near the villages, protecting the humans and offering help when they could. There was no Supreme Elder, because there was no staunch religion. They worshipped the Fire Dragon King, yes, but they did it in their own time, not as a necessity," Xellos said, his hands clasped in front of them, his expression serious. "Then they changed. Suddenly they began to come out into the open, challenging anyone who got in their way, proclaiming that all of their actions were the will of their God. They built their temples, they grew their power, they gathered their followers. They were on their way to becoming a vast civilization.

"When the Kouma War began, and the dragons gathered, the Goldens were among them – we knew that they'd begun to grow, but we hadn't expected their power to grow enough for them to want to be apart of the battles. It was a surprise, to say the least. After the War, with no clear winner established, the Goldens went back to the building of their power base. It was at this point that there began to be some unrest in the whole, as in inevitable in a race that went from one lifestyle to the next so quickly.

"The turning point was when the Golden Dragons attacked the Ancient Dragons. Contrary to belief, not all of the Goldens participated in the slaughter. There was a faction that broke off from the others and retreated into the Katato Mountains, taking with them one of the Goldens' most prized possessions, the Clair Bible."

"And the remaining dragons just let them make off with the Clair Bible?" Zelgadis asked, raising an eyebrow.

"They didn't have much choice," Xellos said. "Before they had a chance to go after them, the Clair Bible had already been sealed away in a vast maze – I believe you saw it, Lina?" Lina nodded. "Only one person knew how to get through that maze, and he refused to show the way to anyone."

"Was that Milgazea-san?" Sylphiel asked.

"His father," Xellos replied. "I assume that just before he died, Lazarus showed Milgazea the way through to the Clair Bible, thus establishing Milgazea's line as the keepers of the Clair Bible.

"But at any rate – so the Katato faction split off, and the remaining dragons built the Temple of the Fire Dragon King and grew into the clan that we know today. And since then, they've become pompous and full of themselves, with an inflated sense of their own worth."

"I'm not _that_ bad," Filia said as she pushed open the door and slipped into the room. She was wearing a pink nightgown and a matching robe, her hair unbound and hanging down her back.

Xellos turned in his chair, a smile appearing on his face. "Oh, yes, you were," he said, a teasing lilt in his tone. "But you've gotten better since we got you away from there. What are you doing up?"

"I woke up and couldn't fall back asleep," Filia said. Gourry and Sylphiel both shifted their chairs down so that Filia could sit next to Xellos, and the violet-haired Mazoku reached over and took her hand. "Then I heard you talking through the door and decided I should stop feeling sorry for myself and come to this meeting."

"Xellos was just telling us his theory that the Golden Dragons' rise to power might have something to do with the Alpha," Zangulus said. "I'm fairly impressed with how much he knows about the dragons, actually."

Xellos smirked, and Filia rolled her eyes. "Don't be. He read it."

"Read it?" Everyone stared at Xellos, who actually had the grace to blush slightly.

"Well…I _said_ some of it was before my time…" he said. When they just continued to look at him, he finally sighed and gave Filia a look. "Thanks, Fi-chan. Actually, that last part about the dragons being pompous and full of themselves _was_ my own observation…but Filia's right, the rest of it we read in our travels before we met up with the rest of you. But does it really matter where we got the information? I _still_ think that the Alpha has something to do with it."

"Except that the Golden Dragons were one of the ones who _sent_ us on the information hunt in the first place," Filia said, looking at him. "Remember? That's how you and I ended up working together so many months ago."

"Well, yes, but…" Xellos paused, suddenly noticing that Zelgadis and Lina were looking at each other, and they seemed pretty grim. "Something you two want to share?"

Lina hesitated, and Zelgadis nodded slightly. "As you know, Zelgadis and I found two of the Ancient Temples before Milgazea gathered all of us – the Temple of the Alpha, and the Temple of Chaos. There were things in those temples that we didn't understand at the time, but that are starting to make sense – including some ancient carvings in the Temple of the Alpha."

"Ancient carvings?" Valgaav asked curiously.

Lina nodded. "We didn't take the time to copy down any of the engravings, though now I wish we had – but one of them depicted several dragons having something to do with the Alpha. Like I said, none of it made sense at the time…"

"Perhaps those carvings could use a second look," Valgaav murmured. He looked at Filia. "You're our expert on the Golden Dragons – what do you think?"

Filia shrugged slightly. "I'm not as much of an expert as I thought I was…if you asked me before this if the Supreme Elder would really disown me, I would've said you were crazy. Shows you how much I know. But I agree, it might not hurt to take a look at those carvings again."

"So…what? Does this mean we're all going to the temple?" Gourry asked.

"I don't think all of us need to go," Lina said. "Zelgadis and I know the way, so it would make sense for us…"

"But the rest of us are just sitting around here, twiddling our thumbs," Zangulus objected. "And meanwhile the Alpha is getting several steps ahead of us."

"Zangulus is right," Zelgadis said, nodding. "It's time for us to take some action, and get off the defensive. We can't sit around waiting."

Valgaav was quiet for a moment, his arms resting on the table as he listened to them. "Listen…" he said hesitantly. "I know I'm not one of you, but I still want to help. And I also want to find Amelia. I had an idea on how to search for her."

Lina looked at him. "What sort of idea?" she asked.

"A locator spell," Valgaav replied. "It's a specific spell, one that is passed on to Ancient Dragons. I'm not certain that I can still use it, as I'm no longer a pure-blooded Ancient, but it's worth a try. The only trick is that I need something of Amelia's, something that specifically belongs to her, and only her. And the only place that I can think of to find something like that is in Seyruun."

"Nothing here?" Sylphiel asked.

He shook his head. "The longer she's owned the item, the better the chances of finding her exact location, and at this point I don't want to risk screwing up." He shifted uncomfortably. "The problem is that it's _Seyruun_. I'll be at an extreme disadvantage within the city limits."

"Then you'll need someone to go with you," Lina replied. She looked thoughtful, then looked at Sylphiel and Filia. "Sylphiel, Filia, you're both priestesses – you'd probably be the best ones to go with him. Your powers should be heightened and it'll hopefully make up for his being weakened."

Sylphiel and Filia looked at each other, then nodded. "Okay," they said.

Valgaav looked grateful. "Thank you," he said softly.

"I've also got some things to look into," Xellos replied. His expression darkened. "I need to find out who told the Golden Dragons about my relationship with Filia. To my knowledge, the only one who knew was my master, and my last indication was that she wasn't going to tell anyone. I need to speak to her again."

"Going alone probably isn't a good idea," Zelgadis said. "I'll go with you again."

Xellos raised an eyebrow. "Any particular reason why? I'd think you'd want to go to the temple with Lina."

"I'm one-third Mazoku myself, so I'd be at the least disadvantage in the heart of the Mazoku realm," Zelgadis replied. "Besides which, I went with you last time. Lina knows where the Temple is – if Gourry and Zangulus go with her, there shouldn't be any danger. We're not supposed to go anywhere alone, remember?"

"I'd forgotten…yes, it makes sense," Xellos said, nodding. He looked around the table. "All right then. Valgaav, Sylphiel, and Filia will leave for Seyruun, and Lina, Zangulus, and Gourry will head for the Temple of the Alpha. Zelgadis and myself will go to Wolf Pack Island. I say we leave immediately."

"Immediately after we eat something," Valgaav replied. "I believe Jilas and Gravos have prepared a meal – I say we gather our strength and then move out."

As everyone chorused their agreement and Jilas and Gravos arrived with the aforementioned food, Valgaav leaned back in his chair and clasped his hands in front of him, looking around at the group assembled at the table. A year ago he never would have imagined sitting at a table, eating a meal, with this group.

Now he was suddenly seized with the fear that this would be the last time they would be in such a situation together.

_Please, everyone_, he thought, picking up a glass and taking a sip from it. _Be careful._


	24. Homecoming

**Slayers FUTURE**

**Fallen Angel**

**Chapter Twenty-Four: Homecoming**

To say that Amelia wasn't nervous would be a huge understatement as she sat in her father's audience chamber. Unlike some countries, Philionel never received guests in his throne room – he reserved that room for formal occasions. Instead, he preferred to greet them in his audience chamber, which consisted of a table and several chairs lining it, giving his meetings a less imposing feel to them. For this, Amelia was thankful. Having been gone as long as she had, she felt almost like a stranger.

As she waited for her father, she stared at her reflection in the floor-to-ceiling window that spanned the length of one wall. She certainly looked different from how she had when she'd left. Her once shoulder-length hair had grown out, stopping midway down her back. She'd gained several inches in height, as well – she estimated that she was probably about 5'5" now, taller even than Lina. She wasn't surprised – her sister Gracia had been nearing 6 feet when she had run away from Seyruun. Her figure had filled out as well, she realized with a slight blush. And…yes. She touched her stomach. She was finally beginning to show signs of her pregnancy. She wouldn't be able to hide it from her father – not that she intended to. No, her baby was going to have to be one of the first things that she informed him of. Approaching the subject of the father would be a little trickier, but she would deal with that if and when it was brought up.

Focusing on her reflection gave her a chance to calm down, so when she heard the door to the room open behind her, she was able to turn around without looking ready to bolt out of the room. But no amount of calming down stopped the tears from welling up in her eyes when she saw Crowned Prince Philionel de Seyruun standing behind her, a stunned and elated expression on his face.

"Daddy…!" Suddenly feeling like a little girl again, Amelia moved forward, throwing her arms around her father and pressing her face against his chest. She felt his arms come up around her, crushing her to him as he hugged her back. They stood like that for several minutes, until finally they both realized that to get any further in their reunion would mean letting go of each other.

Amelia looked up at her father, and realized that despite how much she had changed, he hardly had. There were a few more gray hairs amongst black, and his mustache and beard seemed a little thinner than they had the last time she'd seen him, but other than that, he was still the same man she had always known. And he was wearing the biggest smile she had ever seen on his face at that moment. "Amelia," Phil said, sounding choked up. "I can't…I can hardly believe…where have you…how…?"

"Let's sit down, Daddy," Amelia said, wiping at her own eyes. "I've got a lot to tell you about."

Phil nodded, guiding her to the other end of the audience chamber, where a fireplace stood, two armchairs sitting in front of it. He sat down in one, and she took the other, smoothing out the skirt of her dress as she did so. She noticed him looking at her, and she blinked.

"That outfit – it isn't your usual color," Phil said after a moment, shaking his head. For a moment, Amelia was worried he didn't approve – it was one of the outfits Valgaav had given her – but then he smiled again. "It suits you…you've grown up, Amelia."

"Well, I have been gone for almost a year," Amelia said, biting her lip. "My old clothes stopped fitting after awhile." She reached out and touched the shrine maiden neckpiece she wore. "I still have this, though."

Phil smiled and nodded. "I see that," he said. He stared at her again for a moment, then shook his head. "I could sit here for the rest of the night just telling you how happy and relieved I am to have you home, but that wouldn't get us anywhere."

Amelia smiled slightly, clasping her hands in her lap. "No, it wouldn't," she said.

"Where have you been, Amelia?" Phil asked, looking at her earnestly. "What happened to you?"

Amelia was quiet for a moment, staring down at her lap. Phil was silent as she thought, giving her a chance to get her thoughts in order. "I was kidnapped," Amelia finally said, deciding to start from the beginning. "When the wyrm attacked Seyruun, Lina, Zelgadis and I escaped into the forest. I got separated from them, and I ran into a Mazoku named Valgaav. I think I told you about him…"

Phil nodded. "Yes, the one who pursued you and Lina-san in the outlands – a servant of the Demon Dragon King?"

Amelia nodded. "Right – that's him," she said. "Anyway, he's the one who kidnapped me. I thought it was so he could use me against Lina at the time, but I now think – no, I know – that mostly he just panicked. He was on the run from some other Mazoku, and he didn't want me to blow his cover. So he did the first thing that popped into his head, and took me back to his base before I could alert Lina and Zelgadis that he was there."

"You were kidnapped by a Mazoku!" Phil exclaimed. He clenched his jaw, and Amelia could practically see his veins throbbing. She swallowed hard, taken aback by his anger – though why should she be? After everything the Mazoku had done to Seyruun, it shouldn't have been a surprise. "If he so much as harmed you…" Even a pacifist such as Phil couldn't tolerate the thought of anyone harming his daughter, Mazoku or otherwise.

"He didn't," Amelia said hurriedly, shaking her head. "He never hurt me, Daddy, I swear. I thought he would, at first, especially when he threw me in a dungeon –" She saw Phil twitch at that, and continued on hurriedly, "but I was only there for about a day or so before he moved me to an actual room. He never hurt me, he just kept me there – he even gave me almost free reign around the castle that he lived in."

Phil frowned. "He never hurt you?"

Amelia shook her head. "No. After awhile, we even became…friends." She smiled slightly as she recalled the first time she and Valgaav had managed to have a civil conversation. "While I was there, though, I did some exploring and found a library. And there I found a book.

"The book talked about a being named the Alpha, and a group of warriors chosen by the Lord of Nightmares called the Chaos Warriors, who were destined to go up against the Alpha. The Alpha, according to the testimony in the book, which was written by a former Chaos Warrior, had one goal – to destroy the world and start it over again from the beginning. He would rise once a century or so, and the Chaos Warriors would seal him away before he could complete his goal, but he was never actually destroyed. The book went on to detail each of the different warriors. I didn't think much about it at the time that I found it, but when I read a little further later on, it mentioned something about how each Chaos Warrior was protected by these small orbs." She shifted, reaching into the pocket of her skirt and removing a small red orb. "One of these, to be exact."

Phil stared at the orb, and then his eyes widened in comprehension.

"Lina, Zelgadis, Gourry, Xellos, Filia, Sylphiel, and Zangulus all have orbs as well – we've all been chosen as Chaos Warriors," Amelia said. "I didn't get mine until after they came to Raenos, though, even though Valgaav and I had begun to suspect I was involved in this when we were attacked by the Alpha." Amelia sighed, looking weary. "To make a long story short, after the others found us, the Alpha attacked again, and I got kidnapped again. I managed to escape with some…luck…and ended up near Seyruun somehow. And that's how I got here." She offered her father a shaky smile. "It's really complicated, Daddy, and I'm pretty tired right now." And she wasn't just saying that because she didn't want to go into details right then – she'd suddenly been hit by a wave of exhaustion.

Phil was staring at her, his mouth open slightly. "It sounds complicated, and I'm going to demand a more thorough explanation – but after you've gotten some rest."

"Thanks. And I will tell you more, I promise." She moved to stand up, and the moment she did, a wave of dizziness washed over her. She pressed her hand against her forehead and swayed.

"Amelia!" Phil leapt to his feet, reaching out to steady his daughter. "Are you all right?"

"I'm…I'm fine," Amelia managed, closing her eyes and leaning against Phil for support. "Just…oh, god." The dizziness vanished, but she yanked away from her father, rushing to a wastebasket near the door and falling to her knees just as she got sick. When she finished, she sat back and closed her eyes. "I thought that only happened in the morning," she muttered under her breath.

"Amelia?"

The worried tone in her father's voice made her open her eyes, and she looked up at him. "Sorry about that," she said, smiling weakly. "That's the first time that's happened…"

"What's going on, Amelia?" Phil asked, frowning. "Are you sick?"

Amelia sighed, and shook her head. She got her feet, brushing off her skirt. "No…I'm not sick." She wrapped her arms around her waist, biting her lip. "I'm…I'm pregnant, Daddy."

The stunned look on Phil's face made Amelia bit her lip harder. She looked at him, waiting for him to say something. She had a feeling she knew what his first question was going to be, and she was right.

"Who?"

She took a deep breath, and forced herself not to look away from him. She didn't want to give the impression that she was ashamed, because she wasn't. Only nervous. "Valgaav."

Phil reached out, putting his hands on her shoulders. She winced at how tight his grip was. "The Mazoku?" She nodded. "Did he force you, Amelia? Tell me the truth."

Amelia shook her head. "No!" she said, a little louder than she'd intended. "He didn't force me, Daddy. It was mutual." She flushed slightly. "I love him, Daddy. I'm in love with him. And I don't care that he's a Mazoku."

Phil looked at her. Ever since the attack that had occurred against Seyruun, he'd taken every precaution against Mazoku that he possibly could. Most of them steered clear of Seyruun as a result – with the exception of that Xellos Metallium, who still managed to slip inside the city limits and irritate people somehow. He'd thought that Amelia had shared his feelings concerning the Mazoku.

"Amelia…" Phil struggled to understand what she was telling him.

Amelia looked up at him pleadingly. "I'm happy, Daddy…please, understand."

"I'm…I'm trying, Amelia," Phil said. He shook his head. "But he tried to kill you…"

"Things are different now – _he's_ different," Amelia said. "And so am I." She bit her lip, then reached out and took his hand in both of hers. "I'm not a little girl anymore, Dad."

Phil looked at her for a long moment – a moment in which Amelia held her breath the entire time – and then he smiled. Amelia released her breath. "I can see that," he said softly. "You aren't a little girl at all. You've grown into a lovely young woman…and soon you'll be a mother." He shook his head slightly. "I didn't want you to grow up so fast."

"I know," Amelia said, squeezing his hand. "It just happened."

"You're really happy?" Phil asked.

Amelia nodded.

"Then that's all that matters," Phil replied. He put his hand on Amelia's shoulders. "As long as you're happy, Amelia, and this is what you want, then you have my support."

Amelia looked up at him, then stepped forward and gave him a hug. "Thanks, Dad," she said softly. Then she yawned.

Phil chuckled slightly. "I think you ought to get some sleep," he told her. "Your room hasn't changed since you left."

She stepped back and rubbed her eyes, nodding. "I think you might be right," she said. "It's been a long day." She stood up on her toes and kissed Phil's cheek. "Good night." Then she left the room, stifling another yawn.

Phil watched her go, then sat down next to the fire, resting his hand against his forehead and closing his eyes. The fire flickered briefly, and he glanced over at it. He frowned slightly – was it just his imagination, or did the flames seemed to be somewhat…green?

It must have been his imagination. Flames weren't green. He blinked, and when he looked again, they were back to normal. _Too many surprises for one day_, he thought. _I need to get some rest myself. _Standing up, Phil left the audience chamber, closing the door behind him.

In the fireplace, the flames flared bright green from a moment, and then went out.

* * *

"_Damn you, X!_ _Curse you!_"

The Alpha stared at the empty cage that the Seyruun princess had once been in, the expression on his face one of fury. There was no doubt in his mind who was responsible for her escape – X's presence had been made clear to him the moment he had taken over Milgazea's body.

He clenched his fists, golden eyes flashing as he turned from the cage. "This ruins everything," he snarled, waving his hand. A series of images appeared in the air in front of him, and began flickering, moving through scenes rapidly.

But try as he might, he could not find the girl anywhere.

_Having trouble?_

The Alpha clenched his jaw. "Shut up," he growled.

_Why? I'm taking much pleasure in the fact that you've managed to screw up your own plans._

"I have done nothing of the sort!" the Alpha snarled. "My plans have been perfect!"

_You knew about X, and you took no precautions against him trying to help,_ Milgazea taunted him. _You failed to see him as a threat. You underestimated him, Alpha. And now you've lost Amelia. I'd say things are looking up for my side. _

"_Shut up!_" the Alpha roared, clenching his fists hard enough that he drew blood from his palms. He could feel Milgazea's wince of pain – it was nice to know that whatever the Alpha felt, Milgazea did. The Alpha's tolerance for pain was much higher than the golden dragon's was. "Have you forgotten that I can banish you any time that I see fit? I only keep you around because you have information that occasionally proves useful to me. Now be quiet before…" His voice trailed off, as one of the images in the air began to flash.

As he felt a sense of alarm from Milgazea, a smile appeared on his face. "Well, well," he said, watching as the image became clear. "There she is."

The image of Amelia Wil Tesla Seyruun and her father, Philionel de Seyruun, was clear. "So our little bird has returned to the nest," the Alpha said, chuckling in amusement. "I didn't think she'd be that foolish."

_Foolish? You can't enter Seyruun. I'd say she's perfectly safe._

"There are other ways to gain entrance into a place without having to physically be there," the Alpha replied, his eyes glowing green as he stared at the image.

He felt another rush of fear go through Milgazea, but he paid no attention to it, pushing the other back into the corner of his mind where he could not meddle with the Alpha's owns thoughts. He had more important things to do.

Trapped there, alone, Milgazea was able to think freely, without the risk of the Alpha overhearing his own thoughts. _X told me about this – he assured me that Amelia would be safe once she returned to Seyruun. The Alpha shouldn't be this cocky! _

_Something isn't right. Something has changed from what X told me would happen…and I don't know what it is. _

_I don't know what the Alpha is planning. _

For the first time since he had become the host of the Alpha, Milgazeawas afraid.


	25. Banishment

**Slayers FUTURE**

**Fallen Angel **

**Chapter Twenty-Five: Banishment**

She knew they would come.

Zelas opened her eyes, looking over to where the two figures had just entered her private chamber. She sat up, her long blonde hair falling around her in waves. "You're later than I expected," she said, meeting the eyes of her priest and the chimera he traveled with.

Xellos clenched his jaw, his hand tightening around his staff. "Then you know why we're here?" he asked.

She nodded.

"You told, didn't you? After you assured me you wouldn't." His eyes flashed angrily. "You told, after you specifically told me you didn't have any interest in my relationship with Filia."

Zelas' expression hardened. "I'd watch the way you speak to me, Xellos," she said, her voice low. "Do not forget who is master, and who is servant here."

"But you don't deny it."

Zelas stood up, motioning back the wolves that crowded around her as she rose. She put her hands on her hips, blue eyes cold as she walked up to him. "I don't deny it," she agreed. "Yes. I was the one who told Dynast about your relationship with the dragon. And he, in turn, was the one who informed the Supreme Elder."

Zelgadis watched Xellos carefully, and so he didn't miss the slight widening of the Mazoku's eyes – clearly, this was not what he had expected. "Lord Dynast?" he asked. "Since when is he involved in any of this?"

"Why wouldn't he be?" Zelas turned, walking back to her seat. "Dynast is the Lord of all the Mazoku Lords, second only to Lei Magnus and the Lord of Nightmares herself. Of course he would be involved in matters concerning the Alpha. Though he chose to act through me in this instance, giving me the orders to pass on to you, he has been very much a part of this."

"A part of what?" Zelgadis asked. "What exactly are the Mazoku planning?"

Xellos glanced at him.

Zelas merely turned her gaze to Zelgadis, her face expressionless. "Planning?"

"The Mazoku and the dragon clans only join forces whenever the Alpha rises," Zelgadis said. "That's why you teamed Xellos and Filia up together in the first place. They were both assigned by their own clans. The Golden Dragons are connected to the Alpha somehow – what's the Mazoku's stake in all of this?

"The Alpha wants to destroy the world. Okay, fine. But isn't that what the Mazoku want as well? Why are you attempting to stop someone who is trying to meet your own goals?

"Unless there's more to it than that. What aren't you telling us, Beastmaster Zelas? What secret is the Mazoku race hiding about their involvement with the Alpha?"

Xellos stiffened at Zelgadis' words. As usual, the two of them had gone into this meeting without discussing first their own theories with each other. He had come here for the sole purpose of finding out why his mistress had revealed his relationship to the Golden Dragons.

Zelgadis, it seemed, had come with more than just the intention of watching his back.

Zelas leveled her gaze on Zelgadis, her blue eyes cold. A chill went through Xellos as he stared at his mistress – he had seen many sides of her while in her service, but never had he seen her go completely emotionless. Zelgadis was right. There was something he didn't know, some dark secret that the Mazoku lords had kept from him. They had sent him into this fight without that information.

Then Zelas crumpled.

The two men stared in shock as the great Beastmaster hunched over, burying her face in her hands. Her shoulders shook, her long blonde hair concealing her body from view. Several wolves lying around the Beastmaster's throne backed away, looking at her in utter confusion.

"Master…?" Xellos whispered.

It took a moment for her to respond, and when she did it was with characteristic harshness. "Go," she said, raising her head to look at them, her eyes burning. "Leave, both of you. Get out of here. I don't want to see either of you here again, ever. _Ever!_"

Xellos took a step back, struck by the force of her words. "Demo…"

"You heard me, Xellos Metallium," Zelas said, standing up. She began to glow with power, her eyes going red. "By the order of the One You Serve, I, Zelas Metallium, Lord Beastmaster, disinherit you from my command. You are no longer priest, nor general, nor servant of Wolf Pack Island. Be gone from our lands, Xellos!"

Zelgadis could feel the power of her words. He knew enough about the Mazoku to understand that their power lay in binding contracts – and that it seemed Zelas had just severed the one holding Xellos to her.

"Master!" Xellos exclaimed, looking stricken. His grip tightened on his staff, his face pale, his eyes wide. "No…!"

"_Be gone!_"

Zelas thrust out her hand, sending a wave of power at them, opening a vortex between Wolf Pack Island and the human domain. As suddenly at the two had appeared, they were gone.

Exhausted, she collapsed to the ground, her legs unable to support her.

She almost didn't sense his arrival.

"…what have you done, Zelas?" Dynast asked quietly.

Zelas raised her head, looking over her shoulder. She laughed derisively. "I've freed him, Dynast," she said. "I've freed him. You can no longer get to him through me. And you can't get to the girl through the dragons, either. The Elder and I have both done what we've had to do."

The fury on Dynast's face was enough to make Zelas certain that she'd done the right thing. "How dare you," he whispered. "Do you have any idea how long we've waited for this moment? The sacrifices we had to make? Gaav, and Phibrizo…"

"Oh, please," Zelas groaned. "Save the pity stories. You never gave a damn about either of them, and you don't give a damn about Dolphin or I, either. We were merely convenient."

"Come now, Zelas. That simply is not true, and you know it."

The Beastmaster looked at him calmly. "You doomed Dolphin to a world of madness. You goaded Phibrizo into attempting to obtain the unobtainable. You drove Gaav into exile. And now you have forced my hand, causing me to disinherit the only person I have ever truly loved."

Dynast's eyes became icy, much like the ice his throne was encased in. "Sacrifices must be made, Zelas. Dolphin, Gaav, and Phibrizo were necessary. What you have done here is not only _un_necessary, but may cause a severe roadblock in our plans!"

"Good," Zelas snarled. "Then I've done something right in this for a change."

"Ungrateful bitch!" Dynast thrust out his hand, and Zelas staggered back from the force of power. "Did you forget that I _made you?_ I, the High Lord of the Mazoku Lords, answerable only to the Lord of Nightmares herself!"

"High Tyrant, you mean!" Zelas spat, struggling to maintain an upright stance. "You were supposed to be our Lord only in name – we were once five of the same whole. You've perverted what we Mazoku Lords were created for, Dynast! You've betrayed the Lord of Nightmares, and you've sentenced the rest of us along for the ride!"

"Enough!" Dynast thrust his hand out again, and Zelas let out a choked gasp as what felt like two large hands wrap around her neck. "I've had enough of your insolence! Did you think you were invulnerable?" Her eyes flew wide, and she clawed at her neck as she felt it getting harder and harder to breath. "You were only necessary so long as we had Xellos! Without him, you're expendable, Zelas Metallium!"

Zelas' eyes flashed. _Expendable!_ With a low growl, she drew on every ounce of her strength and lashed out, breaking through the power that was cutting off her breath. "Get out!" she snarled, lashing out with her power again. This time it was Dynast who stumbled back, shock on his face. "This is _my_ domain, Dynast Grausherra! I don't care what you had to trade to get that power of yours from the Alpha. L-sama created the five of us to be equal in power when in our own domains – and you, _High Lord_, have overstayed your welcome in mine. GET OUT!"

Dynast vanished.

Zelas fell to her knees, breathing heavily. It had taken a lot of strength for her to fight against the other Mazoku Lord from Wolf Pack Island. If he hadn't taunted her, she was fairly certain she wouldn't have been able to call on the strength she needed. She looked at her hands, and saw that they were shaking. So. It was true. By disinheriting Xellos, her general and priest, she had greatly lowered the guard around Wolf Pack Island, and her own strength.

If Dynast had chosen to fight instead of leave, he would have killed her.

"Xellos," Zelas whispered. "Xellos, be safe. Please, my son. Don't let what I've done be in vain." She closed her eyes, and sat there. If she were human, she would have cried. But she wasn't. She was a Mazoku. And so she sat there, and fed on her own despair.

* * *

A howl pierced the darkness, echoing through the forest.

"Good god, Metallium, pull yourself together!" Zelgadis exclaimed as he watched Xellos throw his head back again, keening loudly. He grabbed the Mazoku by the shoulders and shook him. "Snap out of it! Now isn't the time."

"Let me go!" Xellos yanked out of Zelgadis' grip – or tried to. It was a little hard to break the hold of a man made out of stone. "Don't you try to tell me this isn't the time! I've lost everything I had!" Violet eyes flashed as he looked at Zelgadis. "Don't you understand? I have nowhere to go. She's stripped me of home, my rank, my power, my _name_. I'm no longer a Metallium! I've never been anything _but_ a Metallium, and now I don't even have that!"

Zelgadis took a step back, releasing him. He was shocked by the pure emotion in Xellos' words and on his face. He'd never seen this kind of reaction from the Mazoku before. He didn't think it was possible, truthfully. He didn't know Mazoku could feel the kind of pain Xellos was so clearly exhibiting.

"What?" Xellos asked bitterly. "Don't look at me that way. Don't look at me as if I'm some sort of subhuman animal. Contrary to the oh-so-popular belief, Mazoku have hearts, too."

"I wasn't…"

"Oh, we have hearts," the violet-haired man went on. "That's what got me into this mess in the first place. My heart. My heart, which betrayed everything I was taught, everything I stood for…" Another sob tore from his throat. "What the fuck am I going to do now? It's gone, it's all gone…there's nothing left…" He gripped his staff tightly, and for the first time Zelgadis looked at the stone on the top of the weapon. Instead of its normal blood-red, it was pitch black.

"Why?" Xellos wept, leaning against the staff. "Why would she do it? Was she that furious with me?"

Zelgadis put his hand on Xellos' shoulder. "Stop it," he said. "There's nothing you can do now."

"Nothing," Xellos replied bitterly. "Right. Nothing. I'm weak, useless."

"You are _not_ useless," Zelgadis replied. "You may now be a Metallium anymore, but you're not weak. You're still a Mazoku, you still have power, and you're still one of us. Part of the Chaos."

"The Chaos," Xellos muttered. "Right."

"Right," Zelgadis repeated, without the derision that Xellos had when he spoke the word. "And we're counting on you. So pull yourself together, and let's go. We have to go to Seyruun."

Xellos looked at him, his expression guarded.

"Just because you've been cast out of one side doesn't mean you've been released from this fight," Zelgadis continued. "I don't know why Zelas did what she did. I don't pretend to understand the Mazoku, even if I do carry their blood in my veins. But in a way, I can understand you. I know what it's like to lose everything." Zelgadis looked at his hands. "I lost my family, my humanity, my home, all for power.

"But I have a new family," Zelgadis continued. "And a new home. I've also realized that humanity isn't something that can just disappear. Despite my appearances, I am human."

"I've never been human," Xellos said.

"No," Zelgadis replied. "You're a Mazoku. And no matter what, you're still a Mazoku. So it's time for you to stop moping, get yourself back together, and come with me to Seyruun. Because we have people who need us waiting there. You have people there waiting for you."

Xellos closed his eyes. Then he stood up, Zelgadis' hand falling from his shoulder. He took a deep breath, then flashed Zelgadis a grin. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go."


End file.
